Anthony Lee Crank, 20, of Raleigh faces murder and robbery charges in Grott's death. Officers say Grott drowned.
Police say the two were acquaintances.
Crank is being held in the Wake County jail.
The boys were riding their bikes through the southeast Raleigh park Friday afternoon when they found the body lying face down in a creek.
Carey Snell was one of the boys who found the body.
"I thought it was a dummy at first, but then, I noticed it was a dead body," Snell said. "We threw a stick at it, and it didn't get up."
Raleigh's major crimes unit is investigating the case.
The Associated Press reported that the victim's father, Eric Grott, said he had warned her to stay away from Crank as recently as Wednesday, even though the two had known each other since grade school and dated briefly in high school.
Her family said he had continued to call her at home, harassing her.
• Credits
Copyright 2024 by Capitol Broadcasting Company. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
