Two men are charged with murder three months after a grandmother was fatally gunned down outside her house in horror drive-by shooting
Kim Duncan, 65, died in April after three gunmen allegedly peppered her southwest Sydney home with bullets and drove off.
Jesse Evans, 34, and Manase Fakahau, 19, were charged with her murder on Wednesday and hauled before Bankstown Local Court.
Police allege three men arrived at a house on Dickens Road, Ambarvale, on April 14, got out of their car and started shooting at the home.
The alleged gunmen then climbed back into a dark-coloured sedan and fled.
Ms Duncan was in the front living room when she was shot in the leg and died at the scene.
Her son, James Shaine Dowd, 34, and a 21-year-old woman were also home at the time, but were uninjured.
The family residing at the address were known to police, and officers allege Ms Duncan was not the intended target.
'It's abhorrent, somebody coming up to a house and putting shots off is totally reckless and the consequences are catastrophic,' NSW Police Superintendent Grant Healey told reporters at the time.
Police had been investigating the family who had only lived in the home for less than two months before the shooting.
'Initially they were [cooperating with police], but at this point in time we're trying to work with them to get some more information,' Supt Healey said.
'We don't know the intent or the reason why [the shots] were fired at the house.'
About 4am on Wednesday, officers descend on homes in Atkinson Street, Liverpool, and Sudbury Street, Belmore.
'It was the person that resided at the house, she was shot at, and we believe the people that were involved had a grudge, an argument, or a beef with somebody who lived in that location,' Supt Healey said on Wednesday.
He said both men were known to police, one more extensively than the other.
Police previously arrested Ms Duncan's son, Mr Dowd, in Ambarvale and another male, aged 32.
Police were called to a home in Ambarvale, southwest Sydney, on April 14 following reports shots had been fired at a home (above, Mr Dowd distraught outside the home at the time)
The men assisted police and were released without charge. Daily Mail Australia does not suggest either man was involved in the shooting.
Detectives are still on the hunt for a third person they believe to have been involved in the alleged shooting.
Anyone with information that could assist Strike Force Apslawn detectives has been urged to contact Crime Stoppers on 1800 333 000.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Daily Mail
7 minutes ago
- Daily Mail
Woman allegedly stabbed by her co-worker at Intercontinental Hotel
A woman has been rushed to hospital after she was allegedly stabbed by her co-worker at a luxury hotel with a pair of scissors. Emergency services were called to the Intercontinental by IHG on Bridge Street in Sydney 's CBD around 2.20am on Saturday, following reports of an assault. The 30-year-old woman was found with wounds to her face, back and hands. She was rushed to St Vincent's Hospital in a stable condition. A 31-year-old woman was arrested by police and taken to Day Street Police Station where she was assisting officers with their inquiries. It's expected she will be charged this morning. Police have confirmed the women were known to each other.
Daily Mail
7 minutes ago
- Daily Mail
American Idol boss and her husband were in safety meeting with LAPD chief hours before their murder
American Idol music supervisor Robin Kaye and her musician husband attended a meeting with Los Angeles Police Department Chief Jim McDonnell hours before they were murdered in cold blood. The Daily Mail can reveal that the couple were at a Community-Police Advisory Board briefing on July 9 where senior LAPD officers - including McDonnell - faced residents concerned by the increase in violent crime in the upscale Encino neighborhood. The cops offered advice on how members of the community could protect themselves after a surge in break-ins and other lawlessness. The following day, Kaye and her husband Thomas DeLuca were shot execution-style in the head in their $4.5million home. They were gunned down by the callous intruder who used the victims' own weapon that they had for self-defense. Despite a 4pm call by a neighbor to 911 to report an intruder at the property on the same day, their bodies were not discovered at the gated mansion on White Oak Avenue until four days later on July 14 after frantic family members requested a welfare check. Suspect Raymond Boodarian was arrested by lawmen, with weapons drawn, the following day at the nearby rented Reseda townhome he shared with his mother and sister. The 22-year-old has been charged with two counts of murder and other offenses in relation to the deaths. The savage murders have horrified residents of LA, especially those who live in the same community where celebrities such as Machine Gun Kelly, Michael B. Jordan and Matt LeBlanc have homes. 'We just couldn't be more saddened and shocked at what has occurred in the neighborhood,' Rob Glushon, President of the Encino Property Owners Association, told the Daily Mail exclusively. Kaye, he said, regularly attended the association's monthly community zoom meetings on crime and other local issues and praised her as 'someone who wasn't just complaining about things, but was trying to do something about it.' He lauded her as a 'good neighbor' who 'believed in the mantra, if you see something, say something. 'When it comes to neighborhood protection, it actually doesn't start with the police - it starts with neighbors watching out for each other.' Glushon confirmed that Kaye and her husband, both aged 70, had attended the C-PAB branch meeting with the chief of police which was held at the local West Valley LAPD station in Reseda. A source, who met the couple for the first time at the meeting and sat at the same table with them for two hours, told the Daily Mail he was stunned to hear of their murders the following day. 'It's incredible,' he said. 'Beyond tragic. I could tell they were a lovely couple. They spoke movingly about their concerns about crime but also how much they loved the area.' With chilling happenstance, the event location at the police station was just half a mile north from Boodarian's home and the site of his arrest. Glushon also spoke of Kaye's fear after a previous break-in in May when an intruder entered the home when the couple was home but fled. He said 'she was concerned over what she had experienced, which was pretty scary.' Boodarian allegedly scaled a wall to get onto the property and entered the home through an unlocked door 30 minutes after the pair arrived home from grocery shopping. Prosecutors allege he placed a call to emergency services on his cell phone during the break-in at about 4.40pm. The dispatcher was told that someone had broken in and they could hear the caller say: 'Please don't shoot me!' The unidentified caller then told the operator that a police response was not required. Follow-up attempts to reach the caller by phone were unsuccessful. Police units and a helicopter surveyed the location but reported seeing no signs of a break-in or foul play. A spokesperson for the Los Angeles District Attorney confirmed to the Daily Mail 'that the suspect placed a 911 call and that the firearm involved in the homicide was registered to the victim.' Jennifer Forkish of the LAPD added: 'The first call came from a neighboring resident who reported a potential burglary in progress but was unable to be reached during attempts to follow up. 'The second call came later from an individual claiming to be a resident inside the location. The caller eventually advised that police response was not necessary and follow-up attempts to reach the caller were unsuccessful.' She added that responding units from West Valley Division and LAPD Air Support Division responded to both calls. 'Officers arrived on scene and conducted a check of the surrounding area and attempted to visually check the residence through the security gate. 'They attempted entry at two access points but both were locked and secured. The home was secured with surrounding walls. The Air Ship visually checked the location and advised there was no visible activity or evidence of break in. After taking additional steps to contact the persons reporting and residents at the location, officers cleared from the scene.' Despite assurances by law enforcement that crime has dropped in the Encino area following a 'huge uptick' break-ins last year, Glushon is not convinced. 'They will tell you that Encino is one of the safest areas in the city to live in,' he commented. 'They will tell you that crime in the West Valley and Encino is down from last year. They will say that burglaries in particular and any kind of home invasion is down. 'That's what they say. That's what the statistics say. 'We did get increased police resources and the burglaries went back to normal but now we have some homes being hit more than once in the same week.' Residents, especially now following the deaths of Kaye and Deluca, are scared. 'If you walk our neighborhood a majority of people do not feel safe,' explained Glushon. 'Compared with other cities and populations, we have the fewest number of police officers per capita. 'We are so deficient compared to Chicago, New York and other cities.' Boodarian is yet to enter a plea. His next court appearance is scheduled for August 20. He is currently being held without bail at the Twin Towers Correction Facility in downtown LA.
Daily Mail
37 minutes ago
- Daily Mail
Shooter is arrested after opening fire at busy Massachusetts mall
A shooter opened fire at a busy mall in Massachusetts on Friday afternoon. The suspect, who started raining bullets near the entrance of Holyoke Mall just after 4.30pm, was apprehended by police who rushed to the scene. There were no injures, but the busy mall was evacuated during the ordeal. Frantic shoppers were seen running for their lives towards the exits while fire alarms rang out in the building, according to witnesses. Police are currently at the scene as they continue to investigate. Joshua A. Garcia, Mayor at Holyoke City Hall, said: 'At approximately 4:40pm. Holyoke Police Officers responded to the mall for a report of shots fired near the entrance to Round One. A suspect is in custody. 'There is no ongoing threat, no innocent bystander injuries or death. The mall has been temporarily evacuated. This is an ongoing investigation and further information will be released when it is available.' The mall is the third-largest in New England and features 135 stores, a large food court, and several restaurants spread out over 1.6 million square feet.
