Akili McDowell Reportedly “Armed And Dealing” Drugs Before Arrest

Akili McDowell was recently arrested, and at the time, he was reportedly seen “armed and dealing marijuana.” According to DailyMail, the Billions actor was known as “the weed man” in the Houston apartment complex where he would make most of his sales.

Robert Garretson, 72, told the outlet that he often saw him carrying a gun holstered on his hip and claimed to have his own “tense” encounter with McDowell. Garretson claimed the actor threatened him after complaining about Akili’s friend parking in his assigned parking space. “I often saw him carrying a black glock in his waistband,” Garretson said. “I’m not scared of him. I survived Vietnam, and now I have cancer. I don’t have any worries about dying.”

Answering the question of “What was McDowell’s connection to Cesar Peralta?,” Peralta’s sister told the outlet that her brother had been buying marijuana from the entertainer. She told the outlet that Peralta, 20, was an aspiring rapper looking to get connected with a producer, to which Akili allegedly told him that he could make that happen.

Prosecutors recall Cesar and an unnamed individual pulling up to the parking lot of the Thorntree Apartments to speak with the rising actor. McDowell and Peralta got into a “fistfight” after words were exchanged before the former whipped out a pistol and started firing. Peralta’s sister told the outlet that Akili allegedly “shot him for no reason.”

Since Cesar Peralta’s death, his family has posted a GoFundMe to raise me to bury the 20-year-old in his home country of Honduras.

The star of David Makes Man was arrested and booked on Thursday (Aug. 1) in connection with the July 20 event. McDowell was charged with murder and theft and has been suspected of killing Peralta fleeing the scene.

Law enforcement was summoned to a crime scene where they found Cesar Peralta, who had multiple gunshot wounds on his person, was pronounced dead at the scene.