Shots fired leads to 3 arrested
EL DORADO — A days-old El Dorado police investigation into a report of shots fired led to the arrests of three people, including one of the complainants in the incident, who are all scheduled to appear today in 35th Judicial District Court on various felony charges.
Erik S. Atkinson, 28, of 214 Chula Vista Road, faces charges of unlawful discharge of a firearm from a vehicle, committing a terroristic act, aggravated assault, possession of a firearm by certain persons, felony with a firearm and parole violation.
Atkinson is accused of having fired two shots from his vehicle at two men in the 700 block of North Yocum on April 7.
He was arrested Monday on a warrant in connection to the incident. No injuries were reported in the shooting.
Shelby Cummings-Murphy, 19, of 815 E. Ninth, was taken into custody for hindering apprehension or prosecution after officers had gone to Atkinson’s residence to serve the arrest warrant.
One of the complainants, Zachary D. Hendrix, 24, of 603 W. Fifth, was later arrested on a warrant for parole violation on the day the shooting occurred.
Hendrix and another man told police on April 7 that they were inside the garage of his mother’s residence in the 700 block of North Yocum when Hendrix noticed that a car had stopped in the street in front of the residence.
According to a police report, Hendrix walked toward the vehicle and recognized Atkinson as the driver.
Hendrix told officers that he was going to fight Atkinson because the two men were involved in an ongoing dispute over a woman, noting that the spat began via the Internet and text messages.
Hendrix’s friend said Atkinson fired two shots from what appeared to be a large handgun and drove away.
The m an said he ducked behind a car and a portion of the garage wall, and Hendrix ran away as the shots were being fired.
Police said they found Hendrix at a residence in the 100 block of Alderm an shortly after the shooting, and he provided a similar account of the incident.
After making sure that Hendrix was not injured, police said they learned of an active warrant for his arrest and took him into custody.
Officers said they did not find any shell casings on scene of the shooting or any bullet holes in the North Yocum residence.
A short time later, deputies from the Union County Sheriff’s Office located Atkinson’s car at a residence in the 200 block of West 14th Street in Smackover, but they said they could not find Atkinson.
On Monday, El Dorado Police and state parole officers went to Atkinson’s residence on Chula Vista to serve an arrest warrant in connection to the shooting, but they were unable to make contact with anyone at the residence, the police report said.
Officers noted that Atkinson’s car was
parked in a rear driveway at the residence.
Police left the residence, and when they returned approximately 15 minutes later, they saw a woman, later identified as a relative of Atkinson, backing a car into the driveway.
Officers then entered the residence and found Cummings-Murphy in a bedroom.
Police detained Cummings-- Murphy after she told them that Atkinson had not been at the residence, and when they entered an adjoining bathroom, they saw that the window was open and a large hole had been ripped into the window screen, according to the police report.
Officers noted that the manner of the tear indicated that the screen had been ripped from inside the residence.
There was also a sandal on the ground underneath the screen, adding that the sandal was not there earlier, police said.
While searching the area, police found Atkinson hiding inside a storage building in the backyard of a residence nearby. He was taken into custody without incident.
Cummings-Murphy was subsequently arrested for hindering apprehension or prosecution.
Atkinson, Cummings-Murphy and Hendrix are scheduled for first appearance hearings at 1:30 p.m. today in 35th Judicial District Court.