On Aug. 25, a man accused of shooting and wounding a victim outside a liquor store last year said he plans to represent himself at trial the next day if his defense attorney’s illness further delays the case.
Guy Thomas, 36, is currently represented by attorney Andre Mahasa and charged with attempted first- and second-degree murder, assault and four weapons violations in connection to a shooting outside Howard Discount Liquors at 3 N. Howard Street on Sept. 1, 2025.
Defense attorney Tony Garcia appeared on Mahasa’s behalf on Tuesday and informed Baltimore City City Circuit Court Judge Barry G. Williams that the trial attorney was ill.
“‘Let the court know that I am ill with a fever,’” Garcia said, reading a text message he received from Mahasa on Tuesday. “‘This is the first time I am requesting a postponement. The last postponement was because the [prosecutor] was currently in trial.’”
The prosecutor confirmed Mahasa’s statement on the case’s first postponement. Both parties were unsuccessful in their attempts to contact Mahasa to determine if he would be available for trial on Aug. 26.
Judge Williams offered Thomas the opportunity to take his case to postponement court or hold it over until Wednesday while the parties wait to hear from his attorney. The defendant chose the latter option, adding that if Mahasa was unavailable on Wednesday, he would represent himself at trial.
Earlier in the proceeding, the prosecution reiterated its plea offer of life, suspending all but 35 years, and five years of supervised probation for attempted first-degree murder and a concurrent five years without parole for using a firearm in commission of a violent crime. After a brief discussion with Thomas, Garcia informed the court that the defendant rejected the plea.
The case is expected to proceed on Wednesday before Judge Williams.
According to court documents, Baltimore Police detectives recovered video footage showing the whereabouts of the defendant and two unidentified suspects before, during and after the shooting. The suspects were initially seen in a blue Mercedes at Lexington and Paca streets before getting out of the vehicle, separating and walking toward N. Eutaw Street. Additional footage from inside a corner store before the shooting also assisted police in Thomas’ alleged identification, specifically, a tattoo above his left eyebrow and another tattoo on his left hand.
About 25 minutes later, video footage reportedly placed the three suspects outside Howard Discount Liquors where two of the suspects, including Thomas, attempted to rob two people. Both suspects pointed firearms at the victims and patted them down, court documents state.
When the shooting victim told the suspects to “chill,” Thomas allegedly pointed his firearm at the victim, who pulled out his own firearm, and the two men shot at each other. Police learned that Thomas was shot on the top of his left foot and the victim was shot in his left leg.
A warrant for search and seizure was later issued for Thomas and on Sept. 30, 2025, and the defendant was arrested when he arrived at Baltimore City’s Parole and Probation Office for a meeting. Police found Thomas with a gunshot wound to his left foot and were able to match his description with one of the suspects from the video footage.
