A Bessemer teen is charged with murder in the shooting death of a Mike Gilotti, a 33-year-old husband, father and Iraq war veteran.

Just 10 days after the killing, Hoover police announced charges against 16-year-old Charleston Everett Wells.

He is currently in the Tuscaloosa County Jail on charges related to a stolen Ford F-250 pickup and several car break-ins and is awaiting transfer back to Jefferson County.

A murder warrant against the teen, who up until recently attended Bessemer City High School, was signed just after 10 a.m. today and Wells' arrest was announced this afternoon in a joint press conference held by The Hoover Police Department and The Jefferson County District Attorney's Office in Bessemer.

Wells was arrested in Bessemer on Wednesday by the U.S. Marshals Gulf Coast Regional Fugitive Task Force. He has been charged as an adult and will be held without bail on the murder warrant.

Wells is just one of several suspects, authorities said, and they are not yet saying Wells pulled the trigger. Three others, including two juveniles, are in custody on other charges.

"Since this terrible crime occurred, this has been the top priority of the Hoover Police Department,'' said Hoover Police Chief Nick Derzis. "From the beginning, we said we were going to do whatever it takes to solve it and hold those responsible accountable for their actions."

"A lot of work has been done so far, and I'm extremely proud of the support shown by the Hoover community and all our partner agencies,'' Derzis said. "We will continue to place all of our focus and efforts on this case until all that were involved are locked away where they belong."

"These groups of predators, whether they're gang members, wannabe gang members, or just individuals robbing and shooting people, when you can't go get a cheeseburger, or come out of your house to go work out without getting robbed or shot, it seems to me they have declared war on us,'' said Bessemer Cutoff Chief Assistant District Attorney Bill Veitch. "We're declaring war on them.

We're going to prosecute these crimes like our lives depend on it, because they do,'' Veitch said.

In all, 15 law enforcement agencies assisted with the investigation, including the Bessemer Police Department, Tuscaloosa County Sheriff's Office, The Jefferson County Sheriff's Office, The Jefferson County District Attorney's Office (Bessemer Division) and the U.S. Marshals Fugitive Task Force.

Hoover police Capt. Gregg Rector said Wells' arrest is just the first step. "We still have a way to go on this case. We said from the beginning we were determined to find justice, he said.

Rector held up photos of Gilotti while he spoke, emotional at times. "While I'm heaping praise on some of these law enforcement agencies, this is the reason we're here today,'' he said. "This is Mike Gilotti, Iraqi war veteran. Mike Gilotti, 33-years-old, was minding his own business. He's a hard working guy, he's got a family, two small boys.

He's getting up early to work out and then go to his job. He runs into a group of car burglars who instead of running and fleeing, as you would expect thieves to do, these individuals obviously turned on him, shot him. He dies in front of his house and we're determined to seek justice for Mile Gilotti's wife, for his kids, and for his entire family. Justice means when each and every one of the people involved in this crime is behind bars."

Investigators said several possible suspect names emerged very early in the investigation and it became apparent all of them had ties to the Bessemer area. Law enforcement agencies throughout the Birmingham area have recovered four stolen vehicles in the past 10 days, all affiliated with the group of suspects. The group is being investigated for their involvement in crimes in other cities.

The suspects range in age from 16 to 20. "Sadly it's not anything new to us. We're seeing young people committing acts of violence,'' Rector said. "You don't have to look far, you see kids committing acts of violence all the time."

Rector said the other suspects in the case are jailed in various jurisdictions in the Birmingham area. "They are certainly high on our suspect list for this crime,'' he said.

The U.S. Marshal's Gulf Coast Regional Fugitive Task Force arrested Wells in Bessemer while he was in a vehicle. He was taken into custody without incident. "I can't give Bessemer PD enough credit,'' Rector said. "They have been phenomenal."

Of the suspects, Rector said this: "These young people may be gang-related, I would call them common street criminals,'' he said. "These are criminals who steal cars, this is what they do. They steal cars. They break into cars. They use drugs. They sell drugs. It's their lifestyle. It's what they do. In this case they obviously took it one step further and we're not going to stand for it. We're not going to tolerate it until all of them are brought to justice."

Of Wells' arrest, he said, "I hope it sends a message to others involved in this case that they're next."

Gilotti was shot to death about 4:55 a.m. on Jan. 5 just outside his home in the 5500 block of Park Side Circle in Hoover's Lake Cyrus subdivision. He was heading to the gym for a morning workout when police say he encountered one or more suspects breaking into his car. One shot was fired, and Gilotti collapsed on his doorstep. He was later pronounced dead on the scene.

The investigation has been the Hoover Police Department's top priority since Gilotti's slaying.

Home surveillance video obtained from a neighbor gave investigators a vehicle description and, just six hours after the killing, Bessemer police were notified of an abandoned truck near the intersection of Roland Avenue and Elmore Street near the Jonesboro and Burstall communities. It was the older Ford F-250 pickup seen leaving the Lake Cyrus area very close to the time of the shooting.

At that time, police said four unknown black male suspects were seen walking away from the truck and getting into a dark colored Jeep Cherokee. Hoover police Capt. Gregg Rector has said the abandoned Ford F-250 was stolen late the previous night in a residential area of Tuscaloosa County.

There were also multiple vehicle break-ins reported in the same area where the truck was stolen. These crimes occurred in the Alabama Highway 69 / Inverness area of Tuscaloosa County. It appears the suspects committed these crimes earlier in the night, prior to coming to Hoover.

On Jan. 8, Rector released photos of two of the men wanted for questioning in Gilotti's death.

The photos were taken after the suspects left the Tuscaloosa area, and just prior to them returning to the Bessemer/ Hoover area. One of the young men, wearing a dark-colored hoodie with "FLY" on the front, was believed to be a 19-year-old who attended Bessemer City High School. Rector said today Wells was, indeed, in those photos.

Authorities said he was known to frequent the McCalla / Tannehill area, as well as Arlington Avenue and Roosevelt Park areas in Bessemer.

Rector at that time also had strong words for the killer or killers: "For the suspects involved in this crime, it's time to worry, and it's time to be concerned about what the next few days may bring,'' Rector said.

"It's also time to think long and hard about the exact role they played in this murder. I think it's safe to say that one of them has more to worry about than the others. We have a very clear goal that we're working toward and we're not stopping until we get it."

Gilotti served as a U.S. Army tank commander, first lieutenant and platoon leader in the 12th Cavalry Regiment. An Avon, Connecticut native, Gilotti worked at the State Farm claims office on Lakeshore Parkway. He and his wife had two young sons, ages 5 and 1.

Co-workers said they were not authorized to speak about Gilotti but said the entire office is devastated. "Our hearts go out to his family, friends, and coworkers and he will be greatly missed," said State Farm spokesman Roszell Gadson.

His wife of eight years, Heather, heard the shot and called 911. His two young sons, Russell and Kevin, were inside the home.

Gilotti's funeral was held on Sunday, Jan. 10, and hundreds of people stood along Alabama 150 to pay their respects. Hoover police escorted Gilotti's family from their Lake Cyrus home to Riverchase United Methodist Church.

Hoover police investigated five homicides in 2015. The city has had 21 murders over the past 10 years, and hasn't had an unsolved murder since 2004.

Rector acknowledged the concern in the community following Gilotti's slaying.

"It would certainly be nice if I could say this is not going to happen in your neighborhood, this is not going to happen in Hoover, this is not going to happen in Vestavia, but that's certainly not something we can say,'' Rector said. "Mike Gilotti lived in a very nice neighborhood, he had a good job, drove nice cars. To me, I look at Mike Gilotti as someone who is living the American Dream. He's got a wife, he's a decorated war veteran and if this can happen in Mike Gilotti's neighborhood then it certainly has the potential to happen anywhere."

"It's just a sign of the times,'' he said. "We're seeing a lot of violent people committing terrible crimes and this is just one example of those crimes."

Anyone with information about the case is asked to call Sgt. Keith Czeskleba at 205-739-6795 or the Hoover Police Department at 205-822-5300.

If you wish to remain anonymous and be eligible for a cash reward you may contact Crime Stoppers of Metro Alabama at 205-254-7777.