A fugitive sought in the August killing of a homicide witness has been captured.

Charles Cabiness, 26, of the North Side, was arrested yesterday without incident in Munhall. He's charged with the Aug. 22 slaying of Monnica Gay, 38, who was gunned down while visiting friends in St. Clair Village.

In July, Ms. Gay testified at a preliminary hearing against Mr. Cabiness' brother, Luzay Watson, who is awaiting trial in the May 14 fatal shooting of Ms. Gay's brother.

Mr. Cabiness already was awaiting a preliminary hearing scheduled Nov. 10 in Municipal Court on charges of driving with a suspended license, a traffic violation and a misdemeanor count of possession of an illegal substance. He was arrested June 21 and released on nominal bond.

Two months later, witnesses told police, Mr. Cabiness walked up behind Ms. Gay on a Saturday morning on a St. Clair Village street and shot her in the head.

A witness heard a gunshot and saw a man with braids, a ball cap and a blue bandana covering his mouth and chin, a gun in his right hand, according to a criminal complaint against Mr. Cabiness. The witness recognized the man and yelled "Is that Chuck?" at which point the man looked toward the witness, then turned around and ran, the complaint said.

The witness also picked Mr. Cabiness' photo out of a lineup as the man he or she saw at the shooting scene.

Ms. Gay testified at Mr. Watson's preliminary hearing that she did not see the shooting of her brother. She arrived at the scene after she was summoned by other witnesses who were present during the incident.

Ms. Gay declined an offer to participate in the city's witness protection program.

Allegheny County Sheriff William P. Mullen said the fugitive squad had been "hot on his trail" for about a week. Based on information from a confidential informant, they tracked Mr. Cabiness to a Munhall duplex yesterday morning.

Mr. Cabiness did not resist arrest when they approached the residence, along with Munhall police, at about 7:20 a.m., the sheriff said.

"He was shocked," said Sgt. Michael Scherbanic, a supervisor in the sheriff's investigations division. "He made the comment to one of my guys that he knew we were right behind him every step."

Investigators believe he had been at the residence for only a short time.

During the arrest, deputies identified Shiemata Mitchell, 26, who was with Mr. Cabiness. She had outstanding warrants for various traffic violations. As a known associate of Mr. Cabiness, Ms. Mitchell was questioned after he was identified as a suspect in the slaying of Ms. Gay, Sgt. Scherbanic said.

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