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By
Racquel Bazos [former]
- May 17, 2024
Court
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Daily Stories
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Homicides
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Juveniles
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Shooting
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Suspects
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Victims
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A 19-year-old whose case was plagued with competency concerns pleaded guilty to four 2023 T-Mobile robberies, including one where an employee was killed, on May 16.
Arthur McCaden was charged with first-degree murder, armed robbery, attempted armed robbery, firearm use in a felony violent crime, conspiracy to commit armed robbery, conspiracy to use a firearm in a felony violent crime, first-degree assault, possession of a firearm as a minor, illegal possession of a regulated firearm and having a handgun on his person in connection to the April 2023 murder of 23-year-old Fabian Gonzalez.
After the prosecution put the latest plea offer on the record, McCaden accepted his offer of life, suspending no less than 35 years and no more than 60 years, for first-degree murder, a concurrent 20 years for firearm use in a felony violent crime, a concurrent 15 years for attempted armed robbery and a final concurrent term of 20 years for armed robbery. The deals for McCaden’s three other cases will add concurrent terms of 20 years for armed robbery in each case.
According to the prosecution’s statement of facts, surveillance footage showed McCaden and his juvenile co-defendant enter the Canton T-Mobile on the 2500 block of Boston Street and McCaden announcing the robbery. Gonzalez opened the register and McCaden shot him once in the chest. A search warrant executed on McCaden’s home yielded a gun with his DNA on it, which was consistent with the firearm used to kill Gonzalez.
Though Thursday’s hearing was supposed to mark the beginning of McCaden’s five-day trial, defense attorney Maura Lynch tried to continue the hearing to allow more time for her expert to evaluate McCaden’s competency. She alleged that the Office of the Public Defender had not supported her adequately when they contracted her services.
The prosecution was ready for trial and insisted McCaden was competent, as their expert had determined in the latest evaluation. Prosecutors also claimed McCaden had only been “feigning his incompetence,” based on his intercepted jail calls, which showed he did adequately understand his case and the plea offers before him.
Baltimore City Circuit Court Judge Robert K. Taylor, Jr. denied Lynch’s continuance request.
“I can’t keep punting this down the road,” he said. McCaden had been in mental health court since August 2023, but he was deemed competent in October of that year.
Judge Taylor accepted his plea, but McCaden’s sentencing will be on Oct. 16.