Washington D.C. man was arrested Tuesday on charges of murder for fatally shooting a 13-year-old boy who allegedly broke into cars parked outside the man’s home.
The victim, identified as Karon Blake, reportedly pleaded with the accused, 41-year-old Jason Lewis, and said he was just a kid when he was shot on Jan. 7, police said Tuesday, as reported by NY Post.
Blake was with a group of teens robbing parked cars near Lewis’ home when the incident occurred, police said based on video obtained, as reported by ABC News.
Based on Lewis’s account, he went downstairs to check if someone was trying to break into his home after he heard noises outside while he was in bed. The man told cops that when he stepped out of his home, he fired the weapon twice, first into a parked, stolen vehicle and then at Blake. However, police recovered three casings from the scene.
The accused said he shot at Blake after the teen and an unidentified person allegedly ran toward him while he was standing at the door, on his property.
However, on Tuesday, D.C. Police Chief Robert Contee said Blake was trying to run back to the car, and there was no “confrontation” between the two before the fatal shooting.
Contee also said the teen pleaded with Lewis multiple times before he was shot. “The decedent (Blake) can then be heard yelling, ‘I am sorry’ numerous times, followed by ‘Please don’t’ and ‘No’ numerous times. The decedent yells, ‘I am a kid’ and ‘I am only 12’ numerous times,” the arrest warrant said.
Lewis, a government employee, surrendered to cops Tuesday and was charged with second-degree murder. He pleaded not guilty to the charge during his arraignment Tuesday and was ordered to be held until his next court appearance on Feb. 13.
“Anytime we have a loss of life, especially that of a child, that’s something that really just pierces my soul, to be quite honest with you. Here we have a kid who is dead who shouldn’t be,” Contee said.
The police chief urged the unidentified individuals who were with Blake that night to come forward and report more details about the incident.
Meanwhile, Sean Long, Blake’s grandfather, said the murder charges issued against Lewis would be the first step toward justice, and added that it was heartbreaking to know his grandson “was begging for his life, and that man just took that away.”
“You didn’t give a young man a chance to grow,” Long said, as per NBC News.
