Published: September 08, 2008 09:43 pm      

NIAGARA FALLS: Teen charged in shooting of woman off Ashland Avenue

DeQuana “Quanny” White never had a chance to get away.

In a torrential downpour early Sunday afternoon, the teen, a member of the Bloods street gang and known in the North End as “O-G,” was surrounded by Falls detectives with their guns drawn and pointed at him. Before he could flee the Cataract City, cops took him down in a motel parking lot on Niagara Falls Boulevard and charged with the murder of Dorothy Joelle Banks.

White, 18, 1529 North Ave., was charged with second-degree murder in the slaying of Banks. He has also been charged with first-degree assault in connection with a shooting incident that left both a 27-year-old man and a 4-year-old boy wounded in the 2200 block of Niagara Street on Aug. 31.

The teen pleaded not guilty to both charges during an arraignment Monday in Falls City Court and remained jailed.

Officers responding to a call of a disturbance just after 11 a.m. Friday found Banks’ body slumped in the front seat of her car in an alley in the 1300 block of Ashland Avenue.

Banks, 35, 1923 18th St., was rushed to Niagara Falls Memorial Medical Center where she died from her wound.

Investigators questioned several people who were acquainted with Banks, but began to focus on a report of a young man seen running from the area of the crime scene. The suspect was described as a dark-skinned black man in his 20s, about 6 feet tall and wearing a red hoodie.

“We had various sources tell us that just prior to the shooting, the victim had gone to 1526 Pierce Ave. and was looking to buy some cocaine,” Detective Capt. Ernest Palmer said.

Banks, who had a history of drug- and prostitution-related arrests was reportedly a frequent customer at the Pierce Avenue home, which was described as a Bloods-controlled drug house. White was one of several Bloods hanging out at the house when Banks pulled up.

“We also learned (from street sources) that DeQuana White got into (Banks’) vehicle at 1526 Pierce and left with her.” Palmer said.

Also drawing the attention of investigators, the suspect in the red hoodie (traditional gear for Blood members) had last been seen running north on 15th Street, near LaSalle Avenue, not far from the Pierce Avenue home.

Palmer said Falls police narcotics detectives were aware of the activity at the house.

“We began to work closely with narcotics detectives and gang investigator Steve Reed who had an investigation under way of various members of the Bloods who were known to frequent (1526 Pierce Ave.) and live there,” Palmer said.

By late Friday night, Palmer and Narcotics Division Captain Morris Shamrock decided to raid the Pierce Avenue home and armed with a search warrant, members of the Falls Emergency Response Team kicked in the door and found 11 people, ranging in age from 16 to 24 years old, inside.

Both Palmer and Shamrock said the ERT was used because of intelligence reports indicating there were weapons in the house.

“There was a potential for violence there based on the past activities of some of the people there,” Palmer said. “The narcotics detectives were looking for guns and drugs, we were looking for homicide information.”

Four people were arrested and charged with drugs and weapons possession. Police seized a loaded automatic handgun, a revolver and rifle. They also recovered a red hoodie.

“We brought all 11 people from 1526 Pierce to (police) headquarters for interviews,” Palmer said. “We were able to garner some very valuable intelligence as a result of the debriefing.”

Palmer said detectives “turned our street sources back out into the community” on Saturday and learned Sunday morning White was holed up with a woman at the Hospitality Inn in the 6700 Niagara Falls Boulevard.

White was arrested as he checked out of the motel. Police said he did not have a gun at the time of his arrest.

“(White) did talk to us for a little while before asking for an attorney,” Palmer said. “He told us he had an alibi.”

The gangbanger told detectives he knew Banks and had sold her drugs in the past.

“He did admit to selling coke to (Banks) a day or two earlier,” Palmer said.

However, White denied shooting Banks and told investigators he was with another woman on Friday morning. Investigators said that woman admitted to being with White on Friday morning but not during the time period when Banks was killed.

“This investigation was an example of the importance of cooperation between all the divisions here,” Palmer said. “The narcotics detectives (John Faso and Tom Rodriguez) and Steve Reed were critical to cracking this case.”