The 18-year-old man charged with shooting his 14-year-old girlfriend in the basement of his mother's rowhouse earlier this week told police that the killing was "a mistake," police charging documents say.
Charles Jakes, of the 1900 block of N. Patterson Park Ave., was charged yesterday with first-degree murder, assault and handgun violations in connection with the slaying of Shawndreta Griffin, a police spokeswoman said. Police charging documents said the girl was shot in the head and found lying in bed.
Jakes was also shot in his right thumb and, after police and paramedics arrived, he was transported by ambulance to Union Memorial Hospital.
While at the hospital, the charging documents say he told a police officer: "It was a mistake. I didn't mean to kill Shorty."
At the time of the shooting, Jakes' mother and another woman were in the house. Three small children were also sleeping on the third floor, charging documents say.
Earlier this month, Jakes was placed on three years' supervised probation as part of his conviction in other crimes. On April 2, he pleaded guilty to charges of burglary and second-degree assault, and other charges -- including possession of a knife on school grounds -- were dropped as part of his plea, court records show.
A judge sentenced him to five years in prison, suspended the entire sentence, and then placed him on probation.
Two weeks later, he was arrested and charged in Shawndreta's death.
http://www.baltimoresun.com/news/local/baltimore_city/bal-griffin0416,0,2783907.story