A 21-year-old Washington, D.C., man pleaded guilty in court last week to shooting a 20-year-old Centreville man in February. He is Antoine D. Benson of 2414 Hamlin Place, N.E.
Previously, Fairfax County police had charged both him and an alleged accomplice, Derrick Randall Taylor, 18, of 13504 Antonia Ford Court in Centreville's Singleton's Grove community, with malicious wounding in connection with the crime. Both were indicted by the grand jury on May 20.
Police say that, on Feb. 11, Taylor and Benson went to the home of the victim — an acquaintance of Taylor's, and the victim invited them into the basement through a sliding-glass door. Benson then shot the victim in the upper torso.
He and Taylor both fled, and the victim went upstairs where his family called police. The victim was treated at Inova Fairfax Hospital for a non-life-threatening injury. Police arrested Taylor at his home; he was later released from the Adult Detention Center on $15,000 bond.
At first, police didn't know Benson's identity, but investigation led them to arrest him on Feb. 27. Taylor is scheduled for a July 10 jury trial in Circuit Court. Benson appeared last Wednesday, June 26, and pleaded guilty as charged. Judge David Stitt then set his sentencing for Aug. 2. Each man could receive as much as 20 years in prison.
<tgl> — Bonnie Hobbs