An Abingdon man, found not criminally responsible in the deaths of a woman and child earlier, is now accused of shooting another man in Northwest Baltimore more than three years ago. The case is now set to be tried on attempted murder and gun charges this May, months after he was declared mentally fit to stand trial.
The defendant, 24-year-old Javon Delonta Hines, is charged with attempted murder, assault and two gun offenses for reportedly shooting a man in his liver and kidneys on the 3300 block of Bayonne Avenue, just before 11 p.m. on Oct. 21, 2022. He was arrested less than a month later, after officers allegedly found him in possession of a 9mm Glock G48 pistol.
In June 2024, Hines pleaded guilty to the death of 40-year-old Elise Wars and her 4-year-old daughter, Khori Ashton, but was found not criminally responsible due to a schizophrenia diagnosis, a state characterized by delusional thinking. Wars and Ashton were found deceased in a hotel room off Dual Highway in Hagerstown.
A defendant can be both not criminally responsible and mentally competent to stand trial in that even though he might not know right from wrong, he can still understand the charges against him.
Confirmation of Hines’ competency reached mental health court Judge Gale E. Rasin on July 2, 2025, when counsel confirmed the defendant had been declared fit for transfer back into general prison from a psychiatric assessment hold at Clifton T. Perkins Hospital.
Hines’ trial is now set to commence 10 months after the court heard of his positive competency evaluation, on May 18 before Baltimore City Circuit Court Judge Michael A. DiPietro.
State counsel informed the court that they are double-booked for trial that day, but that Hines’ matter will take precedence.
In a March 2 hearing, reception court Judge Melissa K. Copeland allotted five days for trial proceedings in Hines’ case. Hines is represented by defense attorneys Janet Andersen and Robert Cohen.
