KID IN CUSTODY
14-YEAR-OLD TURNS HIMSELF IN IN FATAL SHOOTING OF MAN, 79
CHESTER >> A 14-yearold Chester youth turned himself in Friday to face charges that he fatally shot a 79-year-old man in a car on a city street, officials said.
A few hours later, family and friends gathered on a street corner in Trainer Borough to remember 79-yearold Robert Womack at the spot where his car came to rest after he had been shot.
Zhafir Tinsley-Jones, 14, turned himself in for the Wednesday shooting death of Womack.
“He was brought into custody today,” said District Attorney Jack Stollsteimer at a press conference at Chester City Police Department Friday afternoon. “He is being arraigned this evening, he is charged as an adult with first- and thirddegree murder, amongst other charges, and he’s going to end up at George W. Hill Correctional Facility.”
Stollsteimer said Tinsley-Jones arrived at the police station Friday with attorney Bill Davis, who had helped another family member with a legal issue. Davis could not be reached late Friday and it was unknown if he is representing Tinsley-Jones.
Tinsley-Jones was arraigned Friday night by Magisterial District Judge Spencer B. Seaton, Jr., on charges of murder of the first degree, murder of the third degree, firearms not to be carried without a license, and conspiracy. He was remanded to George C. Hill Correctional Facility. A preliminary hearing before Judge Seaton is scheduled for Feb. 12.
Tinsley-Jones had not made any statements to law enforcement by late Friday afternoon, Stollsteimer said. The investigation is ongoing and no information about the whereabouts of the weapon used or other information about the case was immediately available.
Officers were dispatched about 4:58 p.m. to the area of Third and Highland Wednesday for a report of shots fired, according to Chester City Police Captain James Chubb. While en route, the officers were alerted to a vehicle accident at West Third and Wilcox streets in Trainer, about seven blocks away from Highland, that might have been related to the shots fired call.
Officers responded to the accident scene and found Womack in the driver’s seat area of a gray Chevrolet Impala, according to Chubb, suffering from an apparent gunshot wound to the back of the head. Chubb said two other occupants had been in the vehicle – the victim’s
18-year-old grandson and a 17-year-old friend. Paramedics from Crozer Chester Medical Center arrived on the scene and attempted to treat the victim, but he was pronounced dead at the scene.
Officers then returned to the area where callers reported the the original shots fired at Highland Avenue and West Third Street and found a vehicle that appeared to have been struck by gunfire, as well as several spent shell casings in the street.
City Detectives Joseph McFate and Vincent Ficchi investigated and identified Tinsley-Jones as a suspect, according to Chubb.
Trainer resident Natisha Moore, whose car was hit in the crash, previously told the Daily Times she heard sirens, then about six gun shots followed minutes later by three loud booms.
“I go to the window and see all the neighbors running down the street,” she said. “I come outside and see a car that is completely mangled – the whole front end is up in the air and is facing us. He got shot and he literally died in the car waiting to be helped. Probably was nothing anyone could do by the time he hit the cars, he was on his way out. We didn’t know he had got shot at that point.”
Another person living near Wilcox Street reported hearing gunshots followed by the sound of “smashing cars.”
“It hit that car, this car, completely missed my girlfriends car and then a direct hit on mine,” he said. “There was a Chester police officer first on the scene. Kudos to the cops, the playground was full of kids. I am so glad there wasn’t kids in the intersection.”
A crowd of 50 gathered at Third and Wilcox in Trainer Friday evening to remember Womack.
“Everybody knew him by Mr. Lee “said Tyrone King, a family friend. “It’s crazy that something like this could happen to someone like him. It’s so tragic, because he loved kids. He was dropping his grandkids off that day. Something unimaginable.
“The city is at a loss with the kids, they have no respect for older people,” King
said. “Parents of the city have lost control of their kids. They need to get them back, you need to check their stuff. He’s 14 years old with a gun at home. Check your kids stuff.”
The Rev. Dr. William Rocky Brown III said, “as we have this prayer vigil we also want to be mindful of the situation we face. We are losing one of the senior citizens of our community, but unfortunately we are going to lose a young man from our community, 14 years old and he made a bad choice. That should be assigned to young people you’ve got to be careful of the decisions that you make because sometimes those decisions can turn your life around and destroy your life. We have two families here that are hurting tonight.”
Anyone with any more information on the case is urged to call contact Detective Joseph McFate at 610-447-8428 or jmcfate234@chesterpolice.org or Detective Vincent Ficchi at 610-891-4681.