Published: May 16, 2008 04:54 pm            

FRIDAY: Jury hears 911 call in home invasion case (4:53 p.m.)

COURTS: Prosecution rests in robbery, assault trial of two men.

As the prosecution was wrapping up its case Friday, the jury in the trial of two men accused in an alleged home invasion heard the 911 call made by one of the victims.

The call — received by dispatchers at 12:49 a.m. on April 3, 2007 — was made by Shawn Pittler from a home on Locust Street.

“We just had a robbery,” Pitter said, panic in his voice. “We need an ambulance here now. Now!”

As the dispatcher tried to get more information, other voices could be heard in the background. Pittler told her that a woman in the apartment was bleeding.

“Please hurry up, man, please,” he said, then hung up.

Defendants Rakeem Golson, 17, of Evans Street, and Antonio Clark, 20, of Prospect Street, are accused of storming into the apartment, robbing and assaulting one woman and threatening a man.

They are each charged with five counts of first-degree burglary, six counts of first-degree robbery, two counts of fourth-degree conspiracy, two counts of second-degree robbery, two counts of second-degree assault and one count of second-degree burglary.

Pittler earlier testified that the men entered the apartment wearing bandannas on their faces and socks over their hands. One had a knife, and the other had a gun, Pittler said.

A woman in the apartment, Sara Heal, testified Monday that she was choked and pistol-whipped.

On Friday, Lockport Police Chief Larry Eggert, who was a detective at the time, testified about his investigation, specifically his interviews with Pittler and co-defendent Amy Bower, who has admitted to helping plan the crime.

Bower testified Thursday that she did not know Golson prior to April 3.

Eggert said Bower identified Golson through a photo array.

Pittler had told investigators he knew who the two men were, despite their disguises. Eggert said Pittler named Golson and another man, known to him only as “Tone.”

Police were able to narrow that identification down and identify Clark as a suspect a short while later, he said.

Clark’s attorney, Earl Key, noted that Bower did not pick out Clark in a photo array, while Phillip Dabney, Golson’s attorney, questioned whether Eggert knew for sure if Bower was high on crack cocaine when she made the identification.

The prosecution rested after Eggert’s testimony and the airing of the 911 call.

Dabney called his first witness, Addie Hall, to testify about her knowledge of Shawn Pittler’s identification of the suspects, detailing a conversation she had with Pittler the day after the robbery.

“He told me he didn’t know who did it, but he thought he knew because he saw somebody wearing the same pants,” she said. “He said he didn’t care if they did it or not, because they were going to go down for it anyways.”

Prosecutor Brian Seaman questioned Hall about any possible bias she might have against Pittler. He specifically mentioned her boyfriend’s relationship with Pittler, asking if it was true her boyfriend “was very upset with Shawn Pittler because Shawn Pittler broke some type of ‘street code’ by going to the police and giving a statement, is that correct?”

“Yes,” Hall replied.

Testimony will resume Monday.

Contact reporter April Amadon at 439-9222, ext. 6251.

        

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