Woman faces charges after SBI shooting at Academy Sports in Apex

Almost two months after a State Bureau of Investigation agent fatally shot an 18-year-old outside Academy Sports in Apex, police have arrested a woman they say was trying to steal a firearm from the store.

Siomara Sibrian, 21, of Pittsboro has been charged with two counts of felony larceny and one count of possession of a stolen firearm, Apex police said Thursday.

On April 11, police say Sibrian and Dayve Rafael Sanchez were attempting to steal ammunition for an AR-15 from the sporting goods store. When the pair attempted to flee the store, police said they encountered SBI agent Denzel Ward in the parking lot.

Police said Ward then shot Sanchez. Police have not said whether Ward attempted to de-escalate the situation before the shooting.

Sanchez was transported to the hospital where he was later pronounced dead.

In April, Police Chief Jason Armstrong said the AR-15 recovered was stolen from Siler City. He could not confirm the rifle was loaded or whether Sanchez threatened Ward with it.

Ward has been placed on administrative leave while the investigation is underway. Police said he was at the store shopping and not in an official law enforcement capacity.

This is the first time police have publicly identified Sibrian since the shooting.

This story was originally published June 8, 2023 at 4:34 PM.