Home invasion suspect arrested during court hearing
Ceuion Marque English was arrested in Recorder's Court today after he revealed some details about a Whippoorwill Lane home invasion that linked him to the Saturday afternoon incident.
English, the 19-year-old man who attended the hearing to testify, was handcuffed and escorted out of the courtroom. He was charged with first-degree home invasion and placed in Muscogee County Jail.
Before today's turn of events, 21-year-old Alex Ramon Bales-Davis was the only one charged in connection to the incident. He pleaded not guilty to first-degree home invasion.
Judge Michael Cielinski ordered him held in Muscogee County Jail without bond and the case was bound over to Superior Court.
Columbus Police Officer Dietre Burnett said authorities were called to a home in the 100 block of Whippoorwill Lane around 1:30 p.m. Saturday, minutes after the incident.
The 21-year-old male victim told responding officers that two black men forced themselves into his residence by holding him at gunpoint. The victim said he stabbed one of the offenders with a knife in self-defense, police said.
Burnett said a witness saw the suspects leave the residence minutes later. One of the men, who was wearing a white t-shirt and gray pants, tucked something into the front of his pants, the testifying officer added.
The victim said the home invaders fled the scene in a 2003 Monte Carlo cab with a Georgia cab, Burnett testified.
During the preliminary investigation, police received a call from Midtown Medical Center about a man with a stab wound who matched a description of one of the home invaders. He was identified as Bales-Davis, Burnett testified.
Burnett said police went to the hospital and found the Monte Carlo cab in the parking lot. One of the officers secured the vehicle while another official went inside of the building to capture the man, Burnett told the court.
Authorities showed the victim a photo of Bales-Davis and he identified him as one of the home invaders, Burnett said. The suspect was transported to the Public Safety Center at 510 10th St., where he was arrested later that day around 8 p.m.
When Judge Michael Cielinski gave English a chance to testify in the case, he said the officer's testimony was inaccurate. He said there were actually three individuals in the vehicle, not just two.
The judge asked him how he knew that piece of information, and he responded, "... because I was one of the people."
Cielinski then asked if he was involved in the home invasion. English answered," I ain't home invade. How could it have been a home invasion?"
At that point, about four officers slowly approached English and arrested him without incident. He’s to have a 9 a.m. hearing Tuesday in Recorder’s Court.
— Sarah is a crime and safety reporter at The Ledger-Enquirer. You can contact her on Twitter at @SarahR_92.
This story was originally published September 14, 2015 at 3:34 PM with the headline "Home invasion suspect arrested during court hearing."