One of the men accused of participating in an armed robbery that prompted a retaliatory fatal shooting pleaded guilty Tuesday to his role in the crime.
Demonterious Davonte Jackson, 21, entered pleas in three separate cases involving four total felonies in Olmsted County District Court. Two of the charges, first-degree aggravated robbery and possession of a firearm, stemmed from the Aug. 31 shooting.
In the days after the shooting, he was also charged with fifth-degree drug sale and controlled substance sale.
Jackson pleaded not guilty to all counts on Oct. 6 and wasn't due back in court until Dec. 31, but apparently changed his mind this week.
Prosecutors have filed a notice of intent to seek aggravated sentencing, court documents say, also known as an upward departure of the sentencing guidelines.
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Jackson's co-defendant, Jerome Richard Zachary, 18, pleaded not guilty Oct. 13 to a single count of first-degree aggravated robbery. His conditional bail has been set at $90,000; he's due back in court Dec. 3.
Jackson and Zachary were shot Aug. 31, allegedly by Courtney Eli Ocegueda, 19, who has reportedly confessed to his involvement in the crime. A third man, Trumane "Trey" Lamar Gillmore, 22, was killed in the shooting.
Ocegueda has been charged with two counts of second-degree murder, two counts of first-degree murder and two counts of second-degree attempted murder.
Ocegueda remains in custody in lieu of $500,000 conditional bond and is due back in court Dec. 1.
Jackson and Zachary were treated and released from a local hospital after the shooting.
Police suspected Ocegueda almost immediately, thanks to a robbery report that came in about noon the day of the murder, which occurred about 2:15 p.m. Aug. 31.
Ocegueda was the victim of the robbery, which occurred in the area of 31st Street Northeast. He ran from the scene, cutting through backyards, where a woman spotted him. Ocegueda told her he'd been robbed and asked her to call police, but left before officers arrived.
When an officer found him near 27th Street Northeast a few minutes later, Ocegueda said he'd been robbed at gunpoint and knifepoint after running into a friend known as "Trap Dunkin" — and later identified as Jackson — and two other men.
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Ocegueda didn't know their names, but investigators later identified the other men as Zachary and Gillmore, the complaint says.
According to the complaint, Zachary denied having a gun, instead claiming Gillmore forced Ocegueda out of the car at gunpoint and demanded the watch.
About two hours later, officers responded to a report of shots fired near 2313 Park Lane SE.
Officers found 15 spent 9-mm casings at the scene, the complaint says. Ocegueda confirmed in a statement to police that he'd obtained a handgun from an acquaintance, and that "it had a full clip." He's accused of firing into a group of people playing basketball; the three victims were part of the group.
