The trial of 25-year-old Eshawn Jones began on March 31 with jurors hearing opening statements before Baltimore City Circuit Court Judge Hope Tipton.
Jones is charged with attempted murder, attempted armed carjacking, armed robbery, conspiracy and various other gun offenses in relation to a shooting that occurred Feb. 10, 2022 on the 100 block of N. Smallwood Street.
Charging documents state officers from the Baltimore Police Department (BPD) responded to a ShotSpotter alert in the area and found the victim with a gunshot wound to his back that ultimately severed his spinal cord, leaving him paralyzed in both arms.
Jones’s alleged accomplice, 22-year-old Markia Vaughn, initially asked the victim to drive her into the city. On Smallwood Street, Vaughn reportedly exited the car and met with Jones and another unidentified man. After speaking with the two men, Vaughn returned to the vehicle to talk to the victim. The two men then approached the victim’s car, with Jones moving toward the driver’s side door. According to the prosecution, Jones’ “interaction with the victim was a fraction of a second.”
When the victim attempted to drive away, Jones allegedly fired three shots, one of which struck the victim in the back. The victim subsequently crashed the vehicle into a vacant building. Jones, Vaughn and the unidentified man reportedly fled the scene through a nearby alley.
During opening statements, the prosecuting attorney emphasized the devastating and permanent nature of the victim’s injuries, calling the shooting “one of those actions you can’t come back from.”
Defense attorney Augustine Okeke questioned Vaughn’s credibility during opening statements, calling her “an interesting character” and telling jurors her testimony would likely aim to “protect her baby father” rather than provide an honest account. Vaughn and the father of her child are believed to have conspired to carjack the victim, who had just recently purchased his vehicle.
“She was the very person who lured the victim,” Okeke said about Vaughn, who is currently serving a 40-year prison sentence after violating a plea deal she took for her role in the carjacking attempt. Last July, Vaughn reportedly shot a man she met on Facebook in the back. She was sentenced on charges of attempted first-degree murder and use of an assault weapon.
“The state has not proven beyond a reasonable doubt that Mr. Jones shot the victim,” Okeke told jurors. “He told the police what happened because he had nothing to hide.”
The trial is set to continue on April 1.
