A North Little Rock teenager, accused of participating in a home-invasion assault in Jacksonville, will be tried on the charges in juvenile court where Braylon Lunnie is already facing unrelated charges of aggravated assault on a police officer and forgery.
Pulaski County Circuit Judge Leon Johnson transferred the charges of aggravated residential burglary and aggravated assault against Lunnie after a hearing Feb. 16.
A second man, 20-year-old Javon Dontte Raglin, also is charged over accusations they forced their way into 228 Raney Place on March 24 at gunpoint. Raglin, who also is charged with being a felon in possession of a firearm, is scheduled to stand trial in May.
Johnson concluded the hearing by appearing to question whether Lunnie, 18, had been engaged in any criminal conduct at the time.
"I'm not even sure he acted," the judge said, noting that details of the accusations against the teen had not been made clear during the hearing.
He denied a prosecution request to designate Lunnie's case for extended juvenile jurisdiction, a designation that would have required a judge's approval before the teen could be discharged from the juvenile system.
Testifying on Lunnie's behalf were his math teacher, Debra Stewart, and English teacher, Benjamin Olberts, from Sylvan Hills High School who described him as well-mannered, respectful and liked by his peers. They said he was on track to graduate in May provided he completes the catch-up programs to make up for course work he had failed before.
In his ruling, the judge said he was impressed with Lunnie's strong family support. His mother, 32-year-old Micaela Evins of Little Rock, said Lunnie is leaning toward joining the Navy after graduation, inspired by a cousin in Las Vegas she said has been mentoring the teen.
Lunnie, who did not testify, is an obedient son who responds well when she does have to discipline him, which she typically does by revoking his phone, TV or video-game privileges.
Great-aunt Cheryl Moody, a former Marine and a retired college Spanish instructor, said the teen has a lot of potential and comes from a family of "educators and entrepreneurs."
"Whatever he put his mind to, he knows he can do it," she told the judge, describing the teen as smart but naive."
Investigator Jason Evans told the judge that witnesses led police to arrest Raglin and Lunnie about three months after the incident at the home of Valaire Williams.
But efforts by deputy prosecutor Nicholas Lorigan to have Evans elaborate on the police investigation and describe witness accounts of what happened were blocked by hearsay objections from defense attorney Jordan Tinsley.
The only account of what happened came from 18-year-old Treyvon Hampton, one of the three men in the home that police say were attacked. A shot was fired during the incident, leaving a bullet hole in the front door.
Hampton told the judge that he and the others, Malik Smith and Dywai Tywaan-Derrell Weems-Wells, were at the residence playing video games, where Raglin and Lunnie knocked on the door.
Hampton told the judge that he expected trouble when he saw the two defendants so he hid in the bathroom just as they were entering. Hampton testified he had unspecified "problems" with Raglin and Lunnie, in part because of an argument over shoes with Lunnie.
"We had a little conflict going on," Hampton said, describing the shoe dispute.
Raglin, pistol in hand, kicked the bathroom door open, Hampton said, describing how he grabbed Raglin's arm to keep from being shot. He and Raglin began "tussling" over the weapon with their struggle ending up in the living room, Hampton said.
Lunnie was in the room and called on Raglin to let go of Hampton and leave with him, Hampton said, quoting Lunnie, "Jay, we can't be doing this. We gotta go."
According to testimony, Lunnie was arrested on the aggravated-assault charge during the Independence Day holiday after Little Rock police accused him of setting off a large firework that hit a patrol car. His mother told the judge that Lunnie said it was an accident caused by the firework burning his hand. She said the forgery charge involved an accusation that Lunnie had deliberately passed counterfeit money.
She told the judge that Lunnie had sold some shoes to a man he met through the photograph-sharing social media service Instagram. The man paid with counterfeit money, which Lunnie, not knowing the money was fake, used to buy shoes and gave to a friend, she said.
Metro on 02/25/2018