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Inset: Daontez Hodges. (Louisville Metro Corrections Center). Background: Authorities at the scene where Hodges allegedly killed Milton Ritchie (WLKY).
A teenager from Kentucky is facing serious charges after allegedly setting up a deadly trap for a 20-year-old man, resulting in the victim being shot multiple times.
Daontez Hodges Jr., aged 19, was apprehended this week and now faces charges including complicity to murder, complicity to robbery, possession of a firearm by a felon, and engaging in unlawful transactions with a minor, all related to the death of Milton Ritchie, officials reported.
According to a statement released by the Louisville Metropolitan Police Department, Hodges surrendered himself at a Kentucky Probation and Parole office on Tuesday.
A 15-year-old girl, accused of orchestrating the plan that led the victim into harm’s way, was arrested last month. She is charged with complicity to murder and robbery, although her identity remains protected due to her juvenile status.
Further insights into the incident and the subsequent arrests were revealed in court documents obtained by local news outlet WDRB.
According to the report, authorities on the afternoon of Dec. 20 responded to reports of a shooting in the 3000 block of Fordhaven Road, off St. Anthony Church Road in Louisville’s Pleasure Ridge Park neighborhood. Upon arriving at the scene, first responders found an adult male, later identified as Ritchie, suffering from two gunshot wounds, one to the lower back and one to the neck.
Despite paramedics performing lifesaving procedures, Ritchie succumbed to his wounds and was pronounced dead at the scene. His body was reportedly found adjacent to his car, which had crashed into a ditch.
In a court memo, investigators alleged that Ritchie was lured to the area of the shooting by the 15-year-old girl, who he believed was meeting him at that location. However, when Ritchie arrived, he was reportedly met by the 15-year-old as well as Hodges and several other “involved parties,” local NBC affiliate WAVE reported.
Shortly after Ritchie arrived, investigators believe Hodges shot him twice with a rifle.
The Louisville Courier Journal reported that the fatal attack on Ritchie was part of a “revenge plan” that included stealing the victim’s car.
The Journal further reported that Hodges is also facing charges for allegedly robbing a liquor store on Jan. 1. He allegedly stole two bottles of liquor from the establishment and then broke one of those bottles over the head of a store clerk who followed him outside. The clerk reportedly suffered severe injuries that required surgery.
Hodges is currently being held in the Louisville Metro Corrections Center on $150,000 cash-only bond. He is scheduled to appear in court for his arraignment on Jan. 22.
Ritchie’s family told local CBS affiliate WLKY that the 20-year-old had just gone grocery shopping and visited his father in the hospital before he was killed.
“We are grateful for the progress in our son’s case. We are trusting the process and thankful for the work being done. Please continue to pray for us as we seek justice for Milton,” Milton’s parents said in a statement to the station.
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