Armed robbery suspect shot in arm
By Laura Collins
Published in News on June 17, 2009 1:46 PM
FREMONT -- A Fremont man is recovering in the hospital from a gunshot wound to the arm after what seemed to be a robbery gone bad Thursday.
Shontionne Darden, 24, is charged with possession of a firearm by a felon, robbery with a dangerous weapon and shooting into an occupied conveyance for allegedly attempting to rob the passenger of another car with a shotgun.
According to the Fremont Police Department, Darden and two others, Joey Rowe, 20, and Lacie Hardy, 20, arranged to meet Qvontray Pitt, 23, at the 100 block of E. Branch St.
Rowe told police officers they were planning on buying drugs from Pitt, but Chief R.K. Rawlings said there was no evidence that was actually the purpose of the meeting.
Once stopped, Rowe walked to the passenger side of the vehicle Pitt was driving, which held three other occupants including a six-year-old in the back seat. While Rowe was talking to the passenger, Darden allegedly walked up to the car with a shotgun. Darden demanded Pitt's money and jewelry before Pitt grabbed the shotgun and a struggle ensued.
During the struggle for the shotgun, shots were fired including one in the dashboard of the car, before the gun was dropped. According to the police report, Pitt picked up the gun and shot Darden in the arm as Darden was returning to the truck Hardy was driving. Darden was taken to Wayne Memorial Hospital and then airlifted to Pitt Memorial Hospital.
Rowe was arrested Monday and charged with robbery with a dangerous weapon and discharging a weapon into occupied property. He is held on $100,000 bond. Hardy was arrested Thursday and charged with robbery with a dangerous weapon. She is held on $30,000 bond.
"Even though one of the suspects stated it was intended to be a drug deal, which we did not find evidence of, pulling a shotgun on someone and robbing them is still a serious crime, even if it is a drug dealer," Rawlings said.