Originally published April 3, 2008 in the Laurel Leader-Call

Home invasion investigation leads to more cases

Two of the five suspects arrested in Sunday’s home invasion and murder in the Hoy community may be linked to at least one other armed robbery, Jones County Sheriff Alex Hodge said Wednesday.

Making an initial appearance before Judge Gaylon Harper at the Jones County Adult Detention Center, 18-year old Tony Williamson and 21-year old Carl Holder were also charged with an armed robbery that took place at 628 Will Knight Road in Soso. They were joined by 19-year old John Smith. Williamson, Holder, and Smith face armed robbery charges in that case, while Williamson and Holder also face capital murder charges in the home invasion case. Bond was set at $250,000 for Smith and the other suspects with armed robbery charges, but bond was denied for each of the five facing capital murder charges. The other three people allegedly involved in the home invasion and charged with capital murder are DeShawn McDonald, 17; Victor Moffett, 19; and Joseph Spivey, 26. They were also denied bond.

Hodge said Smith, Williamson, and Holder may also be linked to an armed robbery that took place within the Laurel city limits, but referred comment about that investigation to the Laurel Police Department. Laurel investigators were not available Wednesday afternoon.

More details about the home invasion were also released during the initial hearing. Officials say some of the suspects have implicated Holder as being the alleged gunman in the shooting.

During testimony before Judge Harper, Maj. Suber said the robbery was planned. He said the suspects allegedly kicked the door in and a struggle with “multiple” victims began. Frederico Ramirez Perez was shot and later died at South Central Regional Medical Center in Laurel. The suspects ran and investigators lost their trail at University Avenue.

Moffett has retained a private attorney for his case. Williamson and Holder also said they plan to get a private attorney. Spivey and McDonald each requested public defenders. When asked if he would request a public defender, Smith responded, “It doesn’t matter.” Harper said Smith could request public defense at a later date if needed.

Originally published April 2, 2008 by the Philidelphia Inquirer

Philadelphia man slain in apparent robbery attempt

Nicholas Pisano heard a knock at the door in his Old City rowhouse and thought it was a food deliveryman, police said.

Instead, he was gunned down Monday night as he opened the door to tell the man he hadn’t placed an order, police said.

Pisano, 25, of the 300 block of North Front Street, was taken by a medic unit to Hahnemann University Hospital and pronounced dead at 10:45 p.m.

Police received a call about 9:30 p.m. of a shooting in the neighborhood of rowhouses with rear balconies that overlook Columbus Boulevard and the Delaware River.

They found Pisano lying on the floor inside the doorway.

Homicide Capt. Mike Costello said a friend was visiting and heard the exchange about the food order. Two men, he said, were later seen fleeing the area on foot.

“It may have been a robbery attempt,” Costello said, adding that it does not appear that anything was taken, possibly because another person was in the home at the time of the shooting.

It appears, Costello said, that Pisano was specifically targeted, but detectives were still investigating the motive and looking for suspects last night.

Two neighbors on the block said they didn’t know Pisano, but he had frequent visitors at his home day and night.

Anyone with information about the shooting is asked to call police at 215-686-3334.

Several teens linked to Metairie robberies and break-ins

by Michelle Hunter, The Times-Picayune

Wednesday April 02, 2008, 10:40 PM

Click to view those arrested and sought.

Jefferson Parish Sheriff’s Office investigators say they have cracked a teenage crime ring that terrorized a central Metairie neighborhood over the past month in brazen home invasions and robberies committed “to get their jollies off.”

Four teens have been arrested, including three who were booked this week with aggravated burglary in two incidents in Metairie and another who was arrested March 19 in a series of burglaries on the West Bank.

Deputies were searching for three others, including a pair of brothers wanted on a charge of attempted murder in an attack during one of the robberies.

One suspect, Khiri Daniels, 18, allegedly used a stolen wireless telephone to ask for time off from a court-ordered program to celebrate his birthday Friday. He got the weekend pass and used it to target victims in two violent home invasions Saturday, authorities said.

“They’re criminals. They’re cowards,” said Chief Deputy Tom Gorman, commander of the criminal investigations bureau. “This was excitement for them.”

Investigators have arrested Daniels, Clarence Bruer, 17, and Eric Watson, 18, all from Metairie, and Anthony Gilmore, 17, of Jefferson, according to Sheriff Newell Normand.

Arrest warrants have been issued for brothers Jarrell, 18, and Ronald Alexander, 19, and Sean Blankenship, 18, all of Metairie. The Alexanders are wanted on a charge of attempted murder.

Originally reported March 31, 2008 in Forbes

Freed Inmate Held in Fatal Home Invasion 

A sex offender recently released from prison brazenly invaded a home, shot two women meeting for morning coffee and abducted one of them, whose body was found about 10 miles away, police said.

Leslie Williams, 31, told police that he entered the unlocked home Sunday morning looking for money and a car, but that when two women inside saw his face, he had no choice but to shoot them, according to an arrest warrant.

Carol Larese, 65, was seriously wounded while her visiting friend, MaryEllen Welsh, 61, was abducted.

According to the arrest warrant, Larese offered Williams $20 and Welsh gave him her car key, but Williams ordered the two into the basement and shot Larese. The warrant does not address the shooting of Welsh.

Larese told police she pretended to be dead, then stayed in her basement for an hour to make sure the intruder had left. She went to a neighbor’s home across the street for help.

“She just told me she was shot,” Teresa Diters said. “She was all full of blood from head to toe. I was amazed.”

Police said they arrested Williams when he crashed Welsh’s car about 25 miles away in Watertown after a police chase later on Sunday.

Welsh’s body was found in a wooded area of Bristol early Monday, Sgt. Darren Pearson said.

Williams appeared in court Monday but did not enter a plea to charges of criminal attempt to commit murder, robbery, kidnapping with a firearm and other crimes related to the attack on Larese. A judge set bail at $5 million.

Prosecutors said they were preparing to file more serious charges connected with Welsh’s death but did not know when that might happen.

Williams’ attorney, public defender Todd A. Edgington, said he expected the new charges within the next day or two.

“This stuff is rolling in faster than I can keep up,” he said.

Edgington said he asked to have Williams placed in protective custody in prison because he is concerned other inmates might blame him if state officials crack down the way they did after two parolees were charged in a deadly July home invasion in Cheshire. The case led to a temporary ban on parole for all offenders.

Williams was living at two shelters in Hartford after he was released March 4 from the medium-security Osborne Correctional Institution in Somers after serving eight years in prison, authorities said.

Police in Waterbury, where Williams lived before he went to prison, said he was convicted of sexually assaulting a 5-year-old girl he knew in 1998.

He was denied parole in March 2006.

Welsh, a nurse, was battling cancer in the past year, but her friends had helped take care of her, said neighbor Albert Carrier.

“She was a very, very good person, beautiful person to be neighbors with,” Carrier said. “She was like part of my family.”

Originally reported on April 3, 2008 in the Chattanooga Times Free Press

Police search for men in attempted robbery

Chattanooga police are searching for two attempted robbery suspects, one of whom reportedly shot a woman while she sat in her car late Wednesday night.

The 32-year-old woman told police she was headed home and sitting at the traffic light at Main and Willow streets when two males approached her passenger-side window and began beating on it, demanding she roll it down and give them money, Chattanooga Police Department spokeswoman Lt. Kim Noorbergen stated in a news release.

When the woman refused, one man fired a shot that struck her in the back of the right arm and went into her side, police said. She was taken to Erlanger hospital and is listed in fair condition, Lt. Noorbergen said.

Police are looking for two black males of average height and build, one with short hair wearing a white hoodie and another wearing dark clothing. Several people told police they heard shots in the area but could give no more information.

Anyone with information is asked to call the Chattanooga Police Department at 698-2525.

Originally published April 3, 2008 by Philadelphia Daily News

Suspect held after gunbattle

Cops exchanged fire with a gunman last night after responding to a report of a home-invasion robbery in Olney.

This is the account police gave: about 8:30 p.m. a man broke into a home on Rockland Street near 7th and pistol-whipped a resident. When police arrived, the gunman bolted from the house and police gave chase. Near 8th and Rockland streets, the man fired at police. Officers fired back, but did not hit him. The gunman threw his gun onto a nearby roof. He then was arrested and police recovered the gun. Police Internal Affairs is investigating.

Originally reported on April 3, 2008 by NBC 10

Man Shot In Home Invasion

Originally published April 02, 2008 in The Daily Times

ATTEMPTED ROBBERY: Del. State Police investigating Magnolia shooting

Delaware State Police say a Magnolia man was shot twice Wednesday morning after four armed men kicked in his front door in a robbery attempt. Police say the 32-year-old man was shot in the arm with a shotgun as he fought with the assailants. Then he was hit in the leg with a handgun after he and his 62-year-old mother began running toward the house next door.Police say three of the attackers had handguns, and the fourth had a shotgun. They entered the home around 2:45 a.m. Wednesday and threatened to rob and shoot the man and his mother.Police have no suspects. The man’s injuries weren’t life-threatening.