Baltimore City Circuit Court Judge LaZette C. Ringgold-Kirksey issued a no-bail order on Dec. 2 for defendant Donnell Kenneth Jones, citing potential risk to public safety based on his extensive criminal record.
Jones, whose age has not been made public through the Maryland Judiciary, was arrested in connection with a June 8 shooting that occurred on the 500 block of N. Charles Street in Baltimore’s Mount Vernon neighborhood. Jones is charged with first- and second-degree assault, reckless endangerment, and multiple firearm violations.
According to charging documents, officers responded to reports of a disturbance involving two men. Surveillance cameras allegedly captured the suspect and victim running before the suspect fired a shot. No injuries were reported, but officers recovered a cartridge casing near the scene. Investigators later located a black 2011 Cadillac CTS, believed to be connected to the incident, parked on the unit block of E. Hamilton Street. An anonymous letter left for officers identified the vehicle’s owner as a resident of the block.
Detectives later obtained building records. After a subpoena was approved on Sept. 29, investigators identified the suspect as Jones, who lived in a third-floor unit of the block. In June, investigators had recovered additional surveillance footage capturing the incident.
During the bail hearing, Jones’s attorney emphasized that “the state has not been able to identify the witness of this case, and the court should take into consideration the defendant.”
The prosecution opposed release, highlighting that Jones was on probation at the time of the offense for a prior second-degree assault charge and claiming that his storied criminal history made him a danger to the public.
The case’s prosecuting attorney further asserted that Jones’ record—which includes four prior convictions, an active probation warrant, at least ten aliases, two alternate social security numbers, and a history of failure to comply with legal requirements—supported holding him without bail. Pre-trial services agreed with the prosecution’s request, also recommending that Jones be held without bail.
