Mobile police arrest man accused of killing 74-year-old veteran in case of mistaken identity | Mobile County Alabama News

MOBILE, Ala. (WALA) – Regulation enforcement authorities on Friday arrested the person accused of gunning down an innocent victim in a case of mistaken identification.

Deangelo Demetrius Merrill, 29, faces prices of homicide, first-degree housebreaking and unlawful ardour of a pistol. Police allege that he went to Pathways Condo Properties on Florida Avenue on June 29 to avenge his girlfriend’s taking pictures on Williams Avenue however went to the mistaken door.

James Leevaughn Jones, a 74-year-old navy veteran who was on kidney dialysis, died within the gunfire.

“In reference to the sufferer, Mr. Jones, he really in each sense of the phrase is a sufferer on this case. It was unlucky for him and his household,” Cellular Police Chief Paul Prine stated. “By way of Mr. Merrill, this was (a) retaliatory taking pictures, the place he merely went to the mistaken location and kicked within the mistaken home. And it’ll not be tolerated.”

Discovering Jones had been a prime precedence for Cellular police. He was on the division’s “most wished” record.

Prine wouldn’t reveal many particulars concerning the defendant’s apprehension in Prichard. However he stated it concerned cyber expertise and good police work by the U.S. Marshals Service Activity Drive, his division’s Tactical Intelligence Unit, a Okay-9 unit and the Alabama Regulation Enforcement Company aviation unit.

“It was loads of efforts on a number of jurisdictions and the assistance that they gave us,” he stated.

Jones’ dying was the tip of a cascade of occasions that began with a battle within the 500 block of Williams Avenue on the residence of sister rap duo often known as the Fam0us Twinss. In keeping with accounts by police on the time, the ladies’s father, James Walters, bought into an altercation with one other man. Police say that man shot Walters in self-defense. A 23-year-old lady, who was Merrill’s girlfriend, died in what police known as an unintentional gunshot.

Police say Merrill, who was not current, heard about his girlfriend’s harm after which set off for revenge. That led to the lethal encounter with Jones.

The month earlier than the taking pictures, in response to courtroom information, Merrill appeared earlier than Cellular County Circuit Decide Ben Brooks for a probation revocation listening to associated to an arrest by Prichard police on drug prices. However when the arresting officer didn’t seem in courtroom on Could 12, Brooks dismissed the case and put Merrill again on probation.

5 days after that listening to, Cellular police discovered medicine on him after he ran from a site visitors cease on the intersection of Gloria York Avenue and St. Stephens Highway. Officers chased him via a wooded space and arrested him subsequent to a house on Agate Avenue. Officers discovered virtually 19 grams of crack cocaine and $4,367, in response to a probation report.

Whereas police have been looking for a microphone attachment that one of many officers had misplaced, they discovered a bag containing 55.6 grams of powder cocaine and Merrill’s mobile phone, the probate doc states. Officers additionally discovered a gun, in response to courtroom papers.

Court docket information present he admitted he had been promoting medicine for the final two years. “I’m within the streets thuggin,” he instructed investigators, in response to a probation report.

Shortly after his arrest Friday, Merrill denied that he shot Jones and urged buddies and kinfolk to deposit cash in his jail account. From the again of a squad automobile, he flashed an exaggerated smile at reporters.  

“I’m harmless, man,” he stated. “I don’t know what they speaking about. … Simply inform everyone to hook me up, man. Get in contact with me. All my buddies.”

Prine sought to reassure the general public close to the tip of what has been a very violent 12 months within the Port Metropolis.

“I’d inform the residents of Cellular, we have now had fairly a number of incidences right here within the final couple of weeks,” he stated. “However I’d additionally guarantee them that these, for probably the most half, are all recognized offenders to at least one one other. We do perceive that the residents of Cellular may very well be a sufferer in these situations. Nevertheless, we’re working diligently to get forward of that. And hopefully within the subsequent few weeks, you’ll begin seeing some drastic change as regards to how that appears.”

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