May 30—GOSHEN — The Elkhart County Circuit Court has agreed to a competency hearing for a man accused of killing his father.
Dominique Edwards is accused of shooting and wounding his father, Anthony Shaw, while he was at Shaw’s home in the 1600 block of Stevens Avenue in Elkhart on the night of Nov. 20, 2020, according to his charging statement. He is charged with attempted murder, a level 1 felony, and two misdemeanor counts of resisting law enforcement.
During a visit to the home, witnesses said Edwards grabbed a pillow, went into Shaw’s bedroom and fired a gun through the pillow at him, the affidavit said. Before the shooting, witnesses described Edwards acting strangely and possibly using drugs, the affidavit said.
Shaw, who was shot in the leg and abdomen, told police that Edwards said something to the effect of, “Sorry, Dad, but I have to kill you,” before opening fire, according to details in the probable cause affidavit in the business. .
Another man in the home told police that he confronted Edwards and knocked the gun out of his hand, according to the affidavit. The man said he fought with Edwards and chased him out of the house, according to the affidavit.
Edwards was located and arrested in December 2020 after an Elkhart officer was dispatched to the 1600 block of Morehouse Avenue to investigate a report of suspicious activity, the affidavit states.
Attorney Bridget Faulkner explained that because there are still conflicting evaluations, doctors are unable to determine whether certain characteristics indicate a lack of competency or mental illness.
Insanity would be determined later during the trial.
Edwards’ jury trial remains scheduled for Nov. 4.
LORAIN D. CHILDREN
A woman charged with robbery last year had her bail hearing rescheduled Thursday in Elkhart County Circuit Court.
During her initial hearing, Lorain D. Childs told the judge that she had been in jail since February but had not assaulted anyone and needed to speak to her attorney. A public defender was appointed for her, but Elkhart County Circuit Judge Michael Christofeno said the warrant was issued in April.
Police were called to Jams Smoke Shop, 1530 S. Nappanee St., Elkhart after a robbery was reported there on May 22, 2023 at 1:57 p.m.
A store employee told police that two individuals, a man and a woman, entered the store and while the man was talking to her, the woman grabbed a vape in front of the cash register and put it in her shirt, after which the two left the store .
The employee claimed she went outside to confront the woman who stole the vape and said if she gave it back she wouldn’t call the police. She went back to the store to get her phone to take pictures of the vehicle the two were riding in, and the woman followed her and returned a different vape than the one she brought.
The attendant followed her out of the store again and said the woman became irritated because she started taking pictures of the vehicle and the attendant then tried to call the police and hit her. The compartment took off.
Surveillance video was broadcast on social media and Lorain Childs and Darius Branch were identified.
A bond hearing is scheduled for June 6. Childs’ pretrial conference is scheduled for May 30, with a trial status conference on November 21 and a jury trial on December 16.
JEREMY C. SHULT
A man accused of burglarizing a California Road home in January was told in Elkhart County Circuit Court on Thursday that his bond would not be reduced. Jeremy C. Shult, 36, is accused of burglarizing a home located at 2527 California Road at 11:36 a.m. on Jan. 13. A no-bond hold was resolved for failure to appear, but his bond in the original case remains set at $5,000 surety.
According to an affidavit of probable cause, a juvenile called 911, reporting that Shult was at the home, had multiple warrants for his arrest and that the caller had gone outside where he was hiding behind a fence, later making a statement confirming that he had seen Shult. take things out of the house.
Officers arrived to find Shult leaving the home and after gathering reinforcements and getting the youth to safety, they attempted to arrest Shult, who fled in a vehicle, ignoring speed limits and monitoring devices within Elkhart city limits, officers said in the affidavit, before fleeing. on foot.
As he fled on foot, his gun, a loaded .22 caliber firearm, was seen to be discarded in a bush on Kilbourn Street, the affidavit said. Ultimately, Shult was apprehended and officers determined that based on the property inside the vehicle, the estimated value of the wallets, jewelry, electronics and other items taken from the home was estimated at approximately $6,600.
Shult also has a previous conviction for auto theft in 2011, and officers at the jail said they found a counterfeit $100 bill in his possession during booking.
ROBERT L. MITCHELL
A man accused of meth possession was sentenced in circuit court Thursday to two years in the Indiana Department of Corrections, with an alternative placement recommended to home confinement in Elkhart County.
Robert L. Mitchell, 55, Elkhart, was arrested May 8, 2023, after an officer stopped around 1:30 a.m. in the 1000 block of West Cleveland Avenue in Elkhart for no visible license plate light.
The officers smelled marijuana and strong perfume and asked Mitchell to get out of the vehicle so they could pat him down and do a vehicle check. Inside the vehicle he found smoked blunts, marijuana, methamphetamine and a digital scale. Other counts and cases were dismissed.
TRAVIS L. HARDING
A man was sentenced to a total of six years in prison under a plea deal on charges of probation violation, a Level 4 felony, on Thursday.
Travis L. Harding, 41, was arrested May 12, 2023, while an officer was conducting a search for people with arrest warrants at Daylite Inn, 2820 Cassopolis St., Elkhart
Harding had two warrants out of Kosciusko County for trafficking and possession of methamphetamine.
The officer found him near his room carrying a basket to his car and handcuffed him. When asked if Harding had anything that an officer could poke or stab during a search, Harding confirmed he had a syringe that had not been used. The syringe was found in his left pants pocket, along with a bag of meth.
Harding was sentenced to eight years in the Indiana Department of Corrections, with two years suspended and two years for reporting probation.
Dani Messick is the education and entertainment reporter for The Goshen News. She can be reached at dani.messick@goshennews.com or at 574-538-2065.
