Teen charged with murder in death of Larry Neuman yelled 'freeze,' grabbed him before firing: prosecutors
A teen boy charged with murder in the killing of a former Chicago police officer this month grabbed the ex-cop, yelled "freeze" and fired multiple shots, prosecutors said at a hearing Saturday before the boy was ordered detained while awaiting trial.
Marquan Jones, 17, was the first to fire at Larry Neuman on June 20 on the front lawn of Neuman's home in the 4300 block of West Monroe Street, Assistant State's Attorney Eugene Wood said during a detention hearing. Jones is being charged as an adult with first-degree murder after being automatically transferred from juvenile court.
Neuman was paying for helping him mow his lawn. Jones and codefendant 16-year-old Lazarious Watt approached, put on ski masks and carried guns, Wood said.
The man who mowed Neuman's lawn witnessed the attack, prosecutors say.
Jones grabbed Neuman, told him to "freeze," and fired multiple shots before running toward an alley to get away, Wood told Cook County Associate Judge Shauna Boliker. Neuman reached for his own gun and fired once.
Neuman's wife came outside to find him with multiple gunshot wounds to the chest and leg, Wood said. It's unclear who shot Neuman, but both defendants fired at least once, Wood said.
Police found shell casings and Neuman's gun at the scene, and they've been sent in for ballistics testing, Wood said.
Prosecutors didn't identify a motive for the shooting.
Before being charged, Jones turned himself in to police and has been cooperative, Wood said. Watt turned himself into police June 16.
Police analyzed numerous surveillance videos and identified Jones and Watt in footage near the crime scene, according to Wood. Jones' public defender argued the evidence wasn't strong enough to keep Jones in custody because he hadn't seen the video to determine whether it was clear enough to positively identify his client.
Jones and Watt were both identified in the footage by multiple people, including witnesses and people who knew them through the neighborhood and school. One witness was riding his bike near the scene before the shooting, greeted Neuman and saw Jones and Watt in an alley. Shortly after that, he heard gunshots, Wood said.
Throughout the hearing, Jones sat next to his attorney in handcuffs and a brown sweatshirt that read "JTDC" on the back, short for "Juvenile Temporary Detention Center." He looked down or swiveled in his chair as the prosecution and defense made their statements.
Jones has denied the allegations, and his attorney reiterated that he is presumed innocent until proven guilty. Jones' attorney argued that the evidence presented by the prosecution wasn't "clear and convincing" to prove he was a threat to the community, and pushed for Jones to be released on electronic monitoring.
Boliker ruled Jones should be held in custody.
"I don't think there's any question that you pose that threat," Boliker said, addressing Jones in court. "I don't believe there are any combinations of conditions that would keep the community safe."
Neuman has been honored as a stalwart in his community, and hundreds gathered to pay their final respects on Saturday. He was a Vietnam veteran and the police department's longest-serving bomb squad technician until his retirement after 28 years in 2010. After his retirement from the department, he became a Transportation Security Administration explosives specialist who worked at both O'Hare and Midway airports and eventually worked as a reverend.
Jones' next court date is Tuesday.