The trial of 25-year old Eshawn Jones continued on March 31 before Baltimore City Circuit Court Judge Hope Tipton with jurors hearing testimony from the victim in a remote hook-up as well as investigators.
Jones is charged with attempted murder and armed carjacking, first-degree assault, armed robbery, conspiracy and five firearm-related offenses in connection to a shooting that occurred Feb. 10, 2022, outside a convenience store on the 100 block of N. Smallwood Street.
Co-defendant Markia Vaughn, 22, had reportedly asked the victim for a ride with the intent to steal his vehicle. The victim described his ordeal as hereportedly drove Vaughn to the convenience store and waited outside while Vaughn entered.
Surveillance footage showed a group of unidentified Black males, along with Vaughn, sitting on nearby steps. After exiting the store Vaughn began approaching the victim’s vehicle, stopping twice to speak with the group. Two men from the group then followed her toward the car, with Jones moving to the driver’s side door and allegedly fired several shots through the vehicle’s driver’s side.
The injured victim crashed his vehicle into a vacant dwelling. Paramedics pulled him out and rushed him to a trauma center, where he remained hospitalized for approximately one month. While there, he met with detectives, turning over his cellphone and participating in a photo array to help identify the shooter.
During cross-examination, defense attorney Augustine Okeke noted the victim asked to see an additional picture of the suspect while conducting the photo array, as he felt unsure about his ability to identify the shooter.
In the days following the shooting, Baltimore Police Department (BPD) officers executed a search warrant at Jones’ residence on the 2100 block of Vine Street, where they allegedly recovered a red Under Armour hoodie that reportedly matched the clothing he was wearing during the shooting. Body-worn camera footage showed officers documenting the search, and jurors were shown photographs of the recovered item.
The trial is set to continue on April 1.
