He's accused in the Jan. 21 death of David Wayne May, 47, near the University of Texas at Arlington. May had been filling newspaper racks at about 5:30 a.m. when he was shot in a parking lot near a restaurant.
May delivered newspapers part-time and was not known to carry much cash.
"Everybody here felt this tragedy very deeply, and we have felt a lot of empathy for the victim's family," said Bob Mong, editor of The News.
May and his family had delivered newspapers for many years. His parents delivered the Dallas Times Herald and later The Dallas Morning News before retiring to Kansas.
Shortly after May's death, the teenager drew investigator's attention, said Lt. Blake Miller, an Arlington police spokesman. Police declined to say what led investigators to focus on the teen.
The teenager fled to Mississippi after May's death, apparently to escape continued questioning by investigators, police said.
He was arrested April 26 in Mississippi on unrelated warrants accusing him of robbery in Arlington. The teenager was transferred to the Tarrant County juvenile detention facility May 8.
