A 20-year-old man accused of robbing and attempting to shoot another man at Beauty Zone wig store faces a life sentence over a 32-year plea offer with an October trial date scheduled this fall.
On July 20, the prosecutor standing in for counsel offered Tahron Perry a plea of 50 years, suspending all but 25 years, and five years of supervised probation for attempted first-degree murder and a consecutive seven years, the first the years without parole, for using a firearm in commission of a crime of violence. He would also be required to have no contact with the victim and register as a gun offender.
Defense attorney Christoper O’Meara informed Baltimore City Circuit Court Judge Melissa K. Copeland on Monday that this was the first time he and his client heard the offer, which both rejected followed by the offer’s withdrawal by the prosecution.
The defendant is scheduled to begin his three-day trial on Oct. 13 before Judge Hope Tipton.
Perry is current charged with attempted first- and second-degree murder, first-degree assault, armed robbery, conspiracy to commit armed robbery, conspiracy to commit using a firearm in commission of a crime of violence, reckless endangerment, having a handgun on his person and possessing a firearm with a felony conviction as well as two counts of using a firearm in commission of a crime of violence.
According to court records, Perry and another suspect were wearing backpacks and walked up behind the victim around 12:45 p.m. when he was counting money inside the store at 231 N. Eutaw Street on Feb. 24. Baltimore Police later recovered the store’s video footage allegedly showing neither suspect wore a mask and capturing their faces. The suspect in a gray hoodie — later identified as Perry — is seen taking a silver and black handgun from the other suspect’s backpack and pointing it at the back of the victim’s head.
Once the unidentified suspect grabbed approximately $500 from the victim’s hands and left the store, Perry allegedly followed but walked behind the victim with the gun still pointed at the back of his head, court documents state. Both suspects and the victim left the store and began walking southbound on N. Eutaw Street.
Police recovered additional city video footage from the Lexington Market security team that shows them approaching a bus stop, court documents state, with the victim following behind Perry. When the defendant began walking into the street, he allegedly turned around and fired at the victim who was standing a few feet away. Perry ran away westbound. The victim was uninjured and found by officers minutes after the shooting in addition to one 9mm shell casing found at the crime scene.
The defendant was identified through further police investigation and an a corroborating officer.
