On the day his murder trial was scheduled to begin, a Gary man pleaded guilty to a robbery charge in the shooting death of a man who was loading his work van at a Merrillville apartment complex parking lot.
Devon Jarilone Brown, 24, admitted in court Monday that he acted with others in stealing a cellphone from Cecil Pendleton Jr. by using force or threatening the use of force. He will be sentenced Sept. 12 and faces three to 16 years in prion on a robbery charge. Prosecutors will dismiss charges of murder, murder in perpetration of robbery and criminal confinement.
Early on May 5, 2015, Pendleton, 55, was leaving his residence in the area of 100 block of East 59th Avenue, Merrillville, and heading to work when Brown and others approached him in his van and demanded he give up his phone, according to plea agreement documents. When Pendleton refused, one of the men pulled out a semi-automatic handgun and demanded the phone. As a result, Pendleton was injured, documents said.
Officers who were called to the area regarding shots fired found Pendleton slumped over the steering wheel and the passenger side window of the van shattered, court records state. Pendleton later died at Methodist Hospitals Southlake Campus in Merrillville.
Also charged in the case is Latrell Dewone McGee, 23, of East Chicago, who has pleaded not guilty to murder and other counts. His next court date is Aug. 31.
Tyrone Lynn Maynor, 23, of Gary, was sentenced in June to three years after pleading guilty to a charge of assisting a criminal. He was ordered to serve his sentence in Lake County Community Corrections.
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Murder and other charges filed against James Devontae Najee, 24, of Sauk Village, Ill., were dismissed in December 2015.
Ruth Ann Krause is a freelance reporter for the Post-Tribune.