ROCHESTER, N.Y. — A man has pleaded not guilty to the murder of Jakarah Lopez-Moore, the 16-year-old girl whose body was found in the woods last October.

Reign Tapiato, 27, is accused of bringing Lopez-Moore into the woods near the Erie Canal in the city and fatally shooting her in the head. He was arrested in February and charged with second-degree murder.

His attorney says Tapiato is an Air Force veteran and married with children. Tapiato is in the Monroe County Jail on $250,000 bail. Tapiatio will be back in court in may.

Jakarah’s family reported her missing after she left her home on Weld Street on Aug. 27 and didn’t return home. A month and a half later, on Oct. 14, people fishing discovered Jakarah’s body in the woods behind Vanguard Parkway.

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• ‘I dropped to the floor and I screamed’: Best friend of girl found murdered speaks out (Oct. 17)
• Police say if fishermen didn’t stumble upon Jakarah’s body, she may never have been found (Oct.17)
• Girl, 16, murdered and found in woods; RPD asks anyone with information to come forward (Oct. 16)