Accused Shooter Of 3-Year Old Miami Girl Held In Secure Detention
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MIAMI(CBS4)---The 16-year-old accused shooter of a 3-year-old Miami girl will not be home for Christmas. A judge ordered him held in "secure detention" pending another hearing after finding probable cause for the charges against him.
Kenya Johnson is charged with attempted 2nd degree murder, firing into an occupied dwelling and the use of a firearm in the commission of a felony after Ayanna Daniels was caught in a crossfire at a Liberty City apartment complex at 1250 N.W. 62nd St. and was wounded in the right ankle.
CBS4's Peter D'Oench spoke with Daniels' mother, Kiera Wright at a motel where she and Ayanna and her three siblings who are between one month and two years old are staying with Ayanna's step-father.
CLICK HERE To Watch Peter D'Oench's Report
Wright told D'Oench they are looking for a new place to live because they don't want to return to the apartment complex even though Johnson has been arrested.
"I am so happy they caught him. I am so happy they caught him," she said. "Justice will be served. He did the crime. He should serve the time. He knew what he was doing when he pulled out a gun and somebody got shot. Kids were outside. He needs to get the maximum time. My baby was traumatized by this. Now we are at this motel and we don't know what we are going to do, where we are going to be for Christmas."
"Put those guns away," she said. "Put those guns away. This is crazy. Thank God my baby is alive. I hope he has a heart and realizes what he did to my baby. My baby can't sleep. She keeps waking up in the middle of the night. And I can't sleep. I keep thinking about a hole in her ankle. She keeps asking me why did he shoot me, why did he shoot my leg. And now she is going to need therapy."
Kenya Johnson's mother Debbie showed CBS4 how more than three dozen bullets were sprayed at a friend's apartment at the complex and she said her son was firing in self defense after being harassed and picked on.
"This is a big understanding," she said. "My son was just 16-years old and a 47-year old man was judging and messing with him. He is not a man. They were messing with him and he was defending himself. It was self defense. I have sympathy for the little girl who was shot. Everyone keeps saying it was my son's fault but it was not."
Darcelle Woodard said unfortunately, she was being evicted from her apartment even though she had nothing to do with the shooting.
"My apartment was shot up with 38 bullet holes and now I don't know where I am going to go this Christmas," said Woodard.
At a hearing at the Juvenile Justice Center, Miami Police detective Eldys Diaz testified that Ayanna Daniels was shot by a person known as "Hot Dog," which is the nickname for Kenya Johnson.
Diaz told the court that a person known as "E-man" complained to "Hot Dog" that he had been brandishing a weapon. Then he said "Hot Dog" fired at "E-man."
He said "E-man" did not return fire. Ayanna Daniels step-father Alquidiven Daniels did tell CBS4 that he retaliated.
Judge Maria de Jesus Santovenia did find probable cause for all three charges against Johnson and ordered him held in secure detention until another hearing December 29th.
An Assistant State Attorney said the state was reviewing this case to see if Johnson would remain charged as a juvenile or if the state would "direct file" charges as an adult.
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