Pair charged in shooting to face trial
POTTSTOWN >> Two men accused of firing shots into a Pottstown home in March will stand trial.
Makael Bevins, 19, and Ahnile Fountain, 19, faced a preliminary hearing Monday on charges related to a shooting that occurred in Pottstown in late March.
According to previous reports, police responded to the 500 block of West Street for reports of shots fired on Sunday, March 24, around 8:30 p.m.
Upon arrival, ballistic evidence was found in the street indicating multiple shots had been fired, according to police.
Residents of 552 West St. told authorities the home had been struck several times. There were no injuries reported by anyone in the home or elsewhere.
On April 4, Pottstown Police announced that warrants had been issued for Bevins and Fountain in relation to the shooting. According to police, they were arrested on April 9, after they were located in the west end of Pottstown Borough near Quinter Street and Glasgow Street. Both were taken into custody after a short foot chase, police said.
At Monday’s hearing, Pottstown Police Detective Heather Long was the only witness called to testify.
Long stated that prior to the shooting that evening, officers were called to the same location for a report of an altercation. During that incident, no assaults were reported and no arrests were made and the scene was cleared quickly. Less than a half an hour later, authorities were called back by several 911 calls about shots fired.
Long testified that casings from a .40-caliber handgun were located at the scene. She added that witnesses said shots were fired after a light was turned on at the residence. She testified that some witnesses also noted a white Subaru leaving the area. A total of four adults and five children were at the residence at the time of the shooting, Long said.
Long said during the course of the investigation three search warrants were issued involving Bevins’ alleged Instagram account and phone records as well as Fountain’s alleged phone records. Through those searches, police were able to track times, locations and movement of the “handsets” police say belong to Bevins and Fountain. Those phones were not recovered by police, according to testimony.
Additionally, police also reviewed surveillance from Beech and Franklin streets which showed a white Subaru Outback that Long said was known to police through previous interactions to be operated by Fountain.
During cross examination, Bevins’ attorney, Enrique A. Latoison, noted that witnesses did not indicate that either man was at the scene of either incident and could not tell police how many people were in the vehicle seen leaving the scene. Additionally, Latoison argued that police could not prove Bevins was indeed the one using the phone that police say belonged to him.
Attorney for Ahnile Fountain, Christopher Koschier, stated that police have no additional information indicating the pair were working together other than phone records that show the two meeting at some point during that evening. Koschier argued that officers were able to conclude Bevins was at the scene but could not prove that Fountain was.
Both attorneys for Fountain and Bevins asked that all charges against their clients be dropped.
“She (Long) said handsets over and over again. We don’t know who had the handsets. That’s a very important part of a prima fascia case ... This is all a bunch of assumptions and guesses,” said Latoison in his closing remarks.
“Can they prove that he met with Mr. Bevins, he was at the scene with Mr. Bevins and he left the scene with Mr. Bevins? If they can do that basic thing then they have enough evidence for prima fascia. But I argue that they did not do that,” said Koschier about Fountain in his closing remarks.
In addition to his closing argument, Koschier requested that bail for Fountain be changed to unsecured. He stated that Fountain has no previous criminal record and argued he was not a threat to the community.
In closing, Assistant District Attorney Richard Bradbury addressed remarks about about the pairs’ whereabouts during the crime and noted how authorities linked the defendants to the phone numbers tracked in the investigation.
“We know that Bevins contacted Fountain who does apparently respond. Based upon that, with assistance from phone records, Fountain then goes over to 206 Manatawny and picks up Bevins. How do we know it’s Fountain? Because he was found to be operating that motor vehicle as recently as the day before,” said Bradbury.
District Judge Scott Palladino held both Bevins and Fountain for trial on all charges.
Charges against Bevins include attempted murder, conspiracy, aggravated assault, discharge of a firearm into an occupied structure, firearms not to be carried without a license, possession of a weapon, possession of a firearm prohibited, simple assault, recklessly endangering another person, disorderly conduct and harassment.
Charges against Fountain include attempted murder, aggravated assault, conspiracy, discharge of a firearm into an occupied structure, firearms not to be carried without a license, possession of a weapon, simple assault, recklessly endangering another person, disorderly conduct and harassment.
No change was made to Fountain’s bail. A formal arraignment for the pair is scheduled for July 31.