Man Charged With Lying About Theft Of Gun Used To Kill Teen
CHICAGO (CBS) -- The man who originally owned the gun used to kill a 14-year-old girl earlier this week has been charged with illegally selling the gun to someone else, then lying about it being stolen. A woman who police said was at the scene of the shooting also has been accused of impeding the investigation into Endia Martin's murder.
Endia Martin was killed Monday afternoon around the corner from her Back of the Yards home, while walking home from school with a friend when another 14-year-old girl and a group of people approached them in the 900 block of West Garfield Boulevard. Endia and the other 14-year-old had been fighting about a boyfriend, and had been exchanging taunts on Facebook.
When the 14-year-old girl pulled out a .38-caliber revolver and pulled the trigger, the gun jammed. Endia tried to run into a cousin's house, but authorities said the other girl had someone fix the gun for her, and she shot Endia four times in the back. A 16-year-old friend of Endia also was shot in the arm.
Endia was taken to a hospital after the shooting, but died a short time later. Her 16-year-old friend who was shot was treated for a gunshot wound to the arm.
Police initially said the gun used to kill Endia had been stolen from its original owner two weeks before the attack. At the time, police said the owner told police it had been stolen from his car where he had stored it on April 13.
Thursday morning, police charged 34-year-old Robert James, of Hyde Park, with filing a false police report about that purported theft. He also was charged with selling a firearm to a person without a valid gun permit. Police said James lied when he told police the gun had been stolen from his car, and instead had sold the gun to someone else in November 2013, then later filed a false police report that it had been stolen.
That gun ended up in the hands of 25-year-old Donnell Flora, whose 14-year-old niece has been charged with killing Endia. Flora faces felony charges of first-degree murder and aggravated battery for allegedly giving his niece the gun. Authorities said he knew she intended to use the gun in a confrontation with Endia, and actually accompanied her to the fight.
Flora was being held at Cook County Jail on $3 million bail.
His niece was charged as a juvenile with first-degree murder and aggravated battery, and a Juvenile Court judge ordered her detained as a danger to herself and others.
Police also filed charges Thursday against 32-year-old Vandetta Redwood, accusing her of being there when Endia was shot, but failing to call police or do anything to stop the confrontation that resulted in Endia's death. Police also said she impeded the investigation by denying she was there when questioned by police. Redwood has been charged with felony mob action and felony obstruction of justice.
Five people now face criminal charges in connection with Endia's death. The fifth defendant is a 17-year-old boy who was charged as a juvenile earlier this week for allegedly hiding the murder weapon.
