Latest news with #MarionCountyProsecutor'sOffice
Yahoo
4 days ago
- Yahoo
Off-duty Anderson police officer charged after Indy neighborhood shootout
The off-duty Anderson police officer involved in an early morning shootout in an east-side Indianapolis neighborhood has been charged by the Marion County Prosecutor's Office. Officer Maurice Magee, 34, is charged with two counts of criminal recklessness for his alleged role in the 600 block of Woodruff Place West Drive shooting on May 19. Magee, who lives in Indianapolis, began searching the area after reporting a vehicle stolen. According to formal charging documents, Magee reported a Dodge Challenger stolen to the Indianapolis Metropolitan Police Department at 5:14 a.m. The vehicle belonged to Magee's uncle, but Magee pays for and frequently drives it, according to court documents filed in the case. The car was located by Magee using an Apple AirTag and was a little over 9 miles from where Magee lived, according to court documents. Around 4 a.m., Magee got up to let his dog out and talk to his father-in-law when he noticed the Dodge Challenger was gone. He went outside and noticed glass in the driveway where the car had been sitting. Court records state he then woke his girlfriend up and told her to call the police. He took her black Mercedes-AMG to the Woodruff Place neighborhood, and his brother-in-law followed in a gray Dodge 2500 Ram pickup. "Law enforcement officers should understand the proper and safe ways for reporting a crime," said Prosecutor Ryan Mears. "The allegations in the probable cause affidavit could have been avoided if the defendant had simply allowed local police to conduct an investigation. Instead, his alleged actions unnecessarily jeopardized the safety of the residents of Woodruff Place." Just after sunrise, residents in the area who were getting ready for work, and their kids ready for school, heard vehicles revving and a collision followed by gunfire in front of their homes. Witnesses saw Magee and a man detectives believed to be his brother-in-law carrying firearms coming down the street before the shooting happened between them and two suspects. Magee told detectives he was armed with an AR-15 rifle and started yelling at the suspects in his car to stop. Detectives said the pickup and the Challenger collided before the shooting, resulting in the stolen car ramming into a neighbor's fence on a hill. Office Maurice Magee: Residents demand answers after off-duty Anderson cop's shootout in Indy neighborhood After the crash, gunfire was exchanged between the suspects and Magee, the prosecutor said. The men in the Challenger then ran behind the house where they crashed and escaped. They haven't been identified or found. In an interview with detectives, the prosecutor's office said, Magee initially said he did not fire his weapon. He said the suspects got out of the wrecked car and started shooting at him. According to a probable cause affidavit for his arrest, he said he was going to aim and then dove to the ground. He further stated that he does not remember firing and was sure he did not. He did say his brother-in-law fired his rifle, though. Both Magee's and his brother-in-law's firearms were collected for forensic testing. Multiple shell casings were collected from the crime scene and surrounding properties, including a fired bullet that traveled through an 8-year-old's bedroom window and a wall before getting lodged in a bathroom wall. Ballistic comparisons between the firearms collected and the shell casings found at the scene revealed that the man with Magee did not fire his weapon during the shooting. It was determined that at least one of the shell casings had been fired by Magee's rifle. In a statement to IndyStar, Anderson Police said they were notified of Magee's arrest, and he remains on administrative leave. They will reevaluate his position once they receive all the charging information from Indianapolis Metropolitan Police and will release more details as they become available. Magee has been with the department for two years. Magee was arrested and booked into the Marion County Jail on June 6, 2025. His bond is set for $30,000. Jade Jackson is a Public Safety Reporter for the Indianapolis Star. You can email her at and follow her on X, formerly Twitter @IAMJADEJACKSON. This article originally appeared on Indianapolis Star: Off-duty Anderson cop charged in Indy neighborhood shootout
Indianapolis Star
4 days ago
- Indianapolis Star
Off-duty Anderson police officer charged after Indy neighborhood shootout
The off-duty Anderson police officer involved in an early morning shootout in an east-side Indianapolis neighborhood has been charged by the Marion County Prosecutor's Office. Officer Maurice Magee, 34, is charged with two counts of criminal recklessness for his alleged role in the 600 block of Woodruff Place West Drive shooting on May 19. Magee, who lives in Indianapolis, began searching the area after reporting his personal vehicle stolen. He reported his Dodge Challenger stolen to the Indianapolis Metropolitan Police Department earlier that morning. The prosecutor's office said it's believed the car was located by Magee using an Apple AirTag. "Law enforcement officers should understand the proper and safe ways for reporting a crime," said Prosecutor Ryan Mears. "The allegations in the probable cause affidavit could have been avoided if the defendant had simply allowed local police to conduct an investigation. Instead, his alleged actions unnecessarily jeopardized the safety of the residents of Woodruff Place." Just after sunrise, residents in the area who were getting ready for work, and their kids ready for school, heard vehicles revving and a collision followed by gunfire in front of their homes. Witnesses saw Magee and a man detectives believed to be his brother-in-law carrying firearms coming down the street before the shooting happened between them and two suspects. Office Maurice Magee: Residents demand answers after off-duty Anderson cop's shootout in Indy neighborhood Detectives said Magee and the man he was with were driving in separate vehicles. Magee was driving a black Mercedes-AMG, and his brother-in-law was driving a gray Dodge 2500 Ram pickup. The pickup and the Challenger collided before the shooting, resulting in the car ramming into a neighbor's fence on a hill. After the crash, gunfire was exchanged between the men in the Challenger and Magee, the prosecutor said. The men in the Challenger then ran behind the house where they crashed. They haven't been identified or found, the prosecutor said. In an interview with detectives, Magee said he did not fire his weapon, an AR-15 rifle. Both Magee's and his brother-in-law's firearms were collected for forensic testing. Multiple shell casings were collected from the crime scene and surrounding properties, including a fired bullet that traveled through an 8-year-old's bedroom window and a wall before getting lodged in a bathroom wall. Ballistic comparisons between the firearms collected and the shell casings found at the scene revealed that the man with Magee did not fire his weapon during the shooting. It was determined that at least one of the fired shell casings had been fired by Magee's rifle. In a statement to IndyStar, Anderson Police said they were notified of Magee's arrest, and he remains on administrative leave. They will reevaluate his position once they receive all the charging information from Indianapolis Metropolitan Police and will release more details as they become available.
Indianapolis Star
22-05-2025
- Indianapolis Star
Prosecutor looking into 'everybody' tied to Zara Arnold's brutal killing, abuse
Editor's note: This article contains descriptions of child abuse. If you suspect a child is being abused or neglected, call the Indiana Department of Child Services' Child Abuse and Neglect Hotline at 1-800-800-5556. The hotline is available 24 hours a day, seven days a week. All adults are mandated reporters in Indiana. Anybody who has had contact with Zara Arnold, the 5-year-old girl brutally killed after years of alleged abuse, will be looked into, said Marion County Prosecutor Ryan Mears. Zachary Arnold, the girl's 41-year-old father, is charged with murder in her death. After Arnold's initial court hearing May 22, 2025, Marion County Prosecutor Ryan Mears was pointed about what was coming in the case. "I cannot stress enough, this certainly is not the end of the investigation," said Mears, adding Zara "suffered incredible abuse" and "torture." Mears is seeking life without parole for Arnold. His girlfriend, Andrea Lopez-Figueroa, is also facing charges as police say she witnessed the abuse but failed to call 911. "Certainly anticipate that more serious charges are going to be filed against additional individuals," Mears said. "We are evaluating the conduct of everybody who came in contact with this child." Whether members of Indiana's Department of Child Services, which was alerted several times to possible abuse, will be part of that investigation remains to be seen. "We cannot comment on the particulars of a pending investigation," said Michael Leffler with the Marion County Prosecutor's Office when asked about that possibility. Court documents in the case against Arnold reveal a timeline of DCS involvement before Zara was found dead inside a home on May 19. Arnold initially said she fell down the stairs, but later admitted to choking her. According to court documents, detectives found new evidence of abuse on a phone belonging to Lopez-Figueroa. One video includes a FaceTime recording where Arnold has a noose around Zara's neck and swings her body around. Other videos depict him throwing the 5-year-old over his shoulder and letting her body hang behind his back while the noose is around her neck. She appears to still be alive in all of these videos, according to court records. A warrant was issued for Lopez-Figueroa's arrest on charges of assisting a criminal and failure to make a report. Arnold's initial hearing was early May 22. He was not given a bond. The prosecution is seeking a sentence of life without parole for Arnold.
Indianapolis Star
06-05-2025
- Indianapolis Star
Indianapolis man arrested on murder charge was overheard on 911 call describing shooting
This story contains mention of domestic violence. Abuse can be reported by calling the National Domestic Violence Hotline at 1-800-799-7233 (SAFE) or 1-800-787-3224 (TTY). A man arrested on a preliminary murder charge over the weekend told multiple witnesses he shot Sapanna Harris-Williams, according to investigators. Court documents show that Harris-Williams had previously told police the shooter was violent. At 8:12 p.m. on May 3, Indianapolis police were called to the 7500 block of W. St. Clair Street on multiple reports of a person shot. In the background of a 911 call, a man could be heard talking about how he'd shot his girlfriend in the head. The caller said the man was drunk. Bystanders held the alleged shooter against an apartment building while waiting for the Indianapolis Metropolitan Police Department. Before law enforcement got to the scene, the victim's family arrived, and 911 dispatch heard multiple gunshots fired. The man managed to flee before officers arrived, but he was quickly found. Rather than showing his hands, he told police to shoot him, court documents said. Officers subdued him with a stun gun and took him into custody. Officers found Harris-Williams, 42, dead in the passenger's seat of a gray Pontiac Sunfire. A sawed-off shotgun lay across the backseat. The man arrested had small scratches on his face and hands but was otherwise uninjured, police observed. Harris-Williams' mother told police that the shooter's ex-girlfriend had sent the family text messages taunting them, stating that the shooter "blew off Harris-Williams' head," court documents said. Her husband also received a nonsensical text message from the alleged shooter's phone at around 2:30 p.m. that caused concern for Harris-Williams' safety. Police were unable to interview the man immediately after his May 3 arrest due to his level of intoxication. Two witnesses identified him as the shooter from a photo array. A formal criminal complaint has not yet been filed in the homicide case, and the Marion County Prosecutor's Office will make a final charging decision. Harris-Williams' mother said the couple had a volatile relationship. In January 2024, police were called to the residence for a domestic disturbance. Harris-Williams said her boyfriend strangled her until she lost consciousness. He told police, meanwhile, that there hadn't been a physical altercation. "Mrs. Williams admitted to drinking and being Reynolds didn't observe any marks on Mrs. Williams," a court document filed in the case reads in part. The man was arrested on unrelated outstanding warrants for strangulation and public intoxication. He was also charged with violating a protective order Harris-Williams had against him. "Domestic violence can definitely escalate: in some cases over time, in some cases quickly, especially when strangulation has been a factor in that relationship," said Danyette Smith, the director of Indy Champions. Smith said that choking or strangulation in a domestic violence relationship vastly increases the risk of homicide for the abused. "Connecting and making sure that a safety plan is there, put in place and understood is one of the best things we can do," Smith said. "This is tragic. It's sad. It's horrible." If you are in immediate danger from domestic violence, call 911. For anonymous, confidential help, 24/7, call the National Domestic Violence Hotline at 1-800-799-7233 (SAFE) or text START to 88788.
Yahoo
22-03-2025
- Yahoo
'We will not let hate win': Haughville community celebrates church in wake of vandalism
The community of Haughville came together Friday afternoon to pray at a vigil dedicated to the neighborhood's church after it was vandalized with anti-religious messages earlier in the week by two teenagers. "THE DEVIL RULES" was painted across the brick wall of the Friendship Missionary Baptist Church Tuesday evening. By Thursday, a 16-year-old girl and a 17-year-old boy had been arrested by police for the vandalism and were charged with institutional criminal mischief by the Marion County Prosecutor's Office Friday afternoon. To many in the community, the vandalism was an unholy sight. But it was also a message that only strengthened their resolve to fight hate with love. One of the pastors attending the vigil shared that after news of the vandalism had been posted online, the church began receiving calls and messages from people across the nation praying for the church and asking how they could help rejuvenate it. Within a few days, almost all of the graffiti on the church had been washed away, thanks to the dozens of hours volunteered by community members and officers with the Indianapolis Metropolitan Police Department. That's why Friday's gathering wasn't meant to celebrate the teens' arrest but instead focus on the love that the community had for their church and to pray for God to forgive the two teens for their sins. "God change (these) two teenagers, deliver them from the grip of Satan in Jesus' name Father, for we know God is your goodness that draws us to repentance," said Ronald Covington, pastor of Friendship Missionary Baptist Church. Friday's gathering was also used as a moment for the community to recognize IMPD Southwest District Commander Nikole Pilkington and her team's commitment to solving the vandalism case and to protecting those within the Haughville neighborhood. "This is our home away from home, and we want to take care of it just as much as you want to take care of it," Pilkington said to dozens of people gathered outside of Friendship Missionary Baptist Church. "We will not let hate win," she continued. "Any act of vandalism on a church will not be tolerated. We will make sure that we find the people and hold them accountable." To emphasize her district's commitment to the neighbor and its prosperity, Pilkington shared with the dozens of people gathered outside of the church that her team and this year's IMPD recruit class would be going around the neighborhood to help remove any graffiti on people's homes. Aaron Williams, with the City of Peace Coalition, shared that for many in the community, the cost of removing graffiti from their home walls is a remedy that people can't afford, and because of that, it became an issue that plagued the community. However, the vandalism of the church was a wake-up call for community leaders and inspired Pilkington and her team to donate their time to help address the lingering problem. "It just shows we're Haughville strong, and it shows our commitment to beautifying and keeping our community clean," Covington said. Contact IndyStar reporter Noe Padilla at npadilla@ and follow him on X @1NoePadilla or Bluesky @ This article originally appeared on Indianapolis Star: Haughville community rallies to support church defaced with graffiti
