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Three family members arrested in 7-year-old's foster home murder

Bullets went through the door and windows, and at least one of them struck Mariasia Thomas.

ELLENWOOD, Ga. — Deputies have made a third arrest in the shooting death of a 7-year-old girl.

The DeKalb County Sheriff's Office took 27-year-old Dwyane Eric Allen into custody Friday at a metro Atlanta business. He is charged with murder and aggravated assault. Dwayne Allen is the uncle of two siblings who were arrested earlier this week in connection with the crime.

On April 12, law enforcement officers were called to a home on Satellite Boulevard in Ellenwood around 11 p.m. The house, which was the foster home of Mariasia Thomas, was hit by several bullets.

Credit: DeKalb County Sheriff's Office
Dwayne Allen

Bullets went through the door and windows, and at least one of them struck Mariasia Thomas. She died 10 days later from her injuries.

RELATED: Siblings arrested in death of 7-year-old girl

RELATED: 'I felt like my child was going to be in good arms, but now my child is dead and gone'

The sheriff's department said warrants allege Dwayne Allen and his nephew, 21-year-old Antoine Allen shot up the home with an AR-15 assault rifle.

Antoine Allen and his sister, 23-year-old Keadesia Allen were arrested on May 13 for the same charges.

Her biological parents said they were heartbroken when they found out their daughter died.

“I felt like my child was going to be in good arms, but now my child is dead and gone,"  Mariasia's dad Mario Thomas said at a vigil last month.

"They took a precious life. She was just an innocent little girl," Chanrica Boyd said, the victim's mother. "She didn’t deserve to leave this young."

RELATED: 7-year-old shot by stray bullet has died, police say

A neighbor who asked not to be identified said she was there the night that the shooting happened.

"That three people from the same family could shoot up a house," she said, "not even considering who was in the house - not even knowing if whoever they're looking for was in the house - then you kill a child that had nothing to do with it. Whatever your problem was, it's sad."

She said they never have any problems in the area and that it's always quiet.

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