The second of the two men accused of the Feb. 11 shooting of a 20-year-old Centreville man has pleaded guilty in Fairfax County Circuit Court. He is Derrick Randall Taylor, 18, of 13504 Antonia Ford Court in Centreville's Singleton's Grove community.
Both he and the other man, Antoine D. Benson, 21, of 2414 Hamlin Place N.E., in Washington, D.C., are charged with malicious wounding, which is punishable by as much as 20 years in prison.
According to Fairfax County police, 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. At that time, Benson shot the victim in the shoulder.
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.
At first, authorities didn't know Benson's identity, but investigation led them to arrest him on Feb. 27. He pleaded guilty, June 26, in Circuit Court and, last Friday, Judge David Stitt sentenced him to eight years in prison.
Taylor appeared Aug. 27 in Circuit Court and entered an Alford plea of guilt before Judge Jane Roush. It means that he did not admit guilt, but acknowledges that enough evidence exists to convict him of the crime for which he is accused. He is scheduled for sentencing on Nov. 15.
<tgl> — Bonnie Hobbs