Murder suspect in 5 Corner Lotto shooting tied to May business robbery

One of the four murder suspects allegedly tied to the 5 Corners Lotto shooting that killed a 23-year-old man appeared in court on May 10, 2016, to face charges in a separate business robbery.

Kimberly Huffman is one of two suspects wanted in the Nov. 6 fatal shooting.

In May, she pleaded not guilty in Columbus Recorder’s Court to armed robbery, aggravated assault and false imprisonment charges. Officials said she arrived to a store on May 5 with a gunman who entered the business moments before she did. He briefly pointed the weapon at her head and then aimed it at the clerk’s head as Huffman calmly left the scene in a silver vehicle, according to police.

“She finally admitted that she was involved, knew what was going on and implicated her boyfriend Courtney Williams as the suspect who committed the crime,” Officer Michael Lincoln testified during the May 10 hearing.

Authorities have yet to confirm whether warrants were issued for her boyfriend in connection with the May incident. A murder warrant was issued for a 23-year-old Courtney Williams of Stewart County, but it’s unclear if the man Huffman referred to as her boyfriend is the same individual.

Police are still searching for Huffman and Williams. The other two 18-year-old suspects, Dominique Collins and Jalontaye Clay Cleveland of Columbus, were taken into custody by Tuesday evening.

In Columbus Recorder’s Court Thursday morning, Columbus Police Sgt. Anthony Locey said Collins admitted to his role in the attempted robbery that led to the Nov. 6 shooting at 1231 Linwood Blvd. Officials responded to the scene around 9:53 p.m. that night and found Vastel Patel with a gunshot wound to the upper back and his 56-year-old father with a gunshot wound to the stomach.

Patel, who was employed at the 5 Corner Lotto, and his father, who owns the business, were transported to Midtown Medical Center. Patel was pronounced dead at the hospital at 10:15 p.m. His father was treated and later released after undergoing emergency surgery.

Locey said police have obtained surveillance video that shows three armed black men approaching the victims outside of the store as they were closing the business. It also shows a dark SUV circling the business, officials said.

This story was originally published February 9, 2017 at 2:58 PM with the headline "Murder suspect in 5 Corner Lotto shooting tied to May business robbery."