Man charged in shooting death

23-year-old faces murder charges in fatal shooting, robbery near Federal Hill

Baltimore police have arrested and charged a man in the death of Timothy Moriconi, the 25-year-old gunned down outside his home last week in Riverside, near Federal Hill.

Deandre Devon Sleet, 23, attempted to rob Moriconi as he was walking home on Riverside Avenue before fatally shooting him, police spokesman T.J. Smith said at a news conference Thursday. Sleet was part of a pair police believe are responsible for a series of robberies across the city.

He was charged with first- and seconddegree murder, robbery and multiple handgun violations, among other charges. Police also charged Kiara Treasure Wesley, 23, of Baltimore with a handgun violation in the case. Additional charges are pending against her, Smith said.

Last week, Moriconi left a relative’s house and was almost home when one gunshot pierced the side of his head about 7:22 p.m. Thursday.

It wasn’t the first time Moriconi had been the victim of an attempted robbery. Last year, he recounted his experience being robbed at gunpoint and chasing his assailants until they dropped his phone.

“Moral of the story is, be careful, no matter what neighborhood you’re in, always be aware of your surroundings,” he wrote in a neighborhood Facebook group.

It’s unclear whether he resisted the robbery when he was killed last week.

“We don’t know for certain that Mr. Moriconi fought back but the possibility and probability exists that he did,” Smith said.

Video surveillance helped police track down a car — a compact Chevrolet with temporary tags — where Sleet and Wesley were found along with a gun that matched the bullet used to shoot Moriconi, Smith said. The suspects were arrested without incident, he said.

Moriconi’s killing has rattled the South Baltimore neighborhood, among the least likely to suffer gun violence in Baltimore. A vigil for Moriconi drew dozens of mourners last week, and hundreds of neighbors from the peninsula turned out Monday for a crime walk, where Mayor Catherine Pugh defended her administration’s strategy to combat crime.

“This case would not have been solved without significant community involvement,” Smith said.

Sleet was also charged in a robbery in Northeast Baltimore, and police believe he and Wesley were involved in other street robberies.

“It appears that he would conduct the robbery and she would drive the getaway car,” Smith said. “We believe that they’re linked to additional robberies that occurred in the city; unfortunately this one ended in violence.”

Smith said the investigation into Moriconi’s death is ongoing.

Sleet was convicted in October 2017 in Anne Arundel County of misdemeanor drug distribution charges, online court records show. He was sentenced to eight years in prison, with six and a half years suspended — time that hangs over his head if he re-offends.

Before that, in 2013, Sleet pleaded guilty to armed robbery and received a sentence of five years with all but two years suspended, according court records.

Moriconi was one of 37 people killed in Baltimore in September.