The trial of 25-year-old Eshawn Jones continued April 1 before Baltimore City Circuit Court Judge Hope Tipton with ongoing testimony during which Jones identified himself as a suspect captured in footage related to an armed carjacking attempt. Then appeared to change his story.
Jones faces charges of attempted murder and carjacking, armed robbery, conspiracy, and multiple gun offenses for the shooting, which occurred Feb. 10, 2022, on the 100 block of N. Smallwood Street. Charging documents state that the victim, who was in the driver’s seat of a car, attempted to flee the scene but crashed the vehicle into a vacant building after being shot. The victim now suffers from paralysis in both arms.
At trial, prosecutors claimed Jones conspired with 22-year-old co-defendant Markia Vaughn to steal the victim’s car, and that Vaughn began carrying out the plan by asking the victim for a ride into the city.
Investigators later recovered footage from a Ring camera in the vicinity of the scene. Testimony revealed that on Feb 12, 2022, two days after the shooting, another unnamed male suspect approached the Ring camera and shot at it before fleeing towards Vine Street.
According to the state, the suspect was also present during a search of Jones’ uncle’s home on Feb. 17, 2022. Jones later claimed he had been at the residence at the time of the shooting.
Jurors were also shown a recording of an interview Jones conducted with detectives on March 1, 2022, during which he identified himself as a man captured in footage from a convenience store just hours before shooting. The man was seen wearing a red hoodie, a black ski mask, light-colored jeans and black shoes.
Later, however, Jones denied being the shooter, claiming he changed clothes after visiting the convenience store and that the red hoodie belonged to someone else. He urged detectives to confirm the statement with his uncle and claimed the latter could also support his alibi.
Investigators later asked Jones if Vaughn was involved in the carjacking attempt. Jones responded that he was not acquainted with Vaughn, though he knew she occasionally visited the neighborhood in her mother’s SUV.
The trial is set to continue on April 2 with further witness testimony.
