A woman who police say was drunk when she crashed her vehicle into a tree was upgraded to serious condition Monday, Fort Wayne police said. Just before 8:30 p.m.A Fort Wayne man fatally shot an armed, masked intruder who was trying to break into a southeast-side home early Wednesday.
Investigators believe 21-year-old Trenton Tavon Jones was planning to rob the residents at 4730 Reed St. about 3:15 a.m. According to police, Jones tried to force his way through the home’s front door.
Police tape still surrounded the home Wednesday afternoon, and blood could be seen on a concrete step in front of the home.
The name of the shooter has not been released, and no charges have been filed. Police believe Jones had accomplices who fled in a dark-colored vehicle.
The shooting occurred after one of two men inside the home approached the front door with a gun upon hearing the attempted intrusion, police said.
It was unclear how many shots were fired. The first officers to arrive at the home found Jones, wearing a ski mask, critically wounded, they said. Officers also found a gun they believe Jones was carrying.
Neighbor Aubrey Willis, 46, winced and her eyes widened when she stepped outside for the first time Wednesday afternoon to look at the small single-story house next door. In addition to the police tape surrounding the home, a marked Fort Wayne police squad car sat out front, guarding the crime scene.
Willis said she was awakened by the sound of gunfire early Wednesday but didn’t realize it was so close.
A young couple moved into the house in October. Shortly after they came to the neighborhood, one of them stopped by her house to introduce himself, she said. The couple kept to themselves and seldom had visitors, she said.
Though the house where the shooting occurred is a rental, most of the homes on the block are occupied by owners who have lived in them for several years, Willis said.
Jones died about 4 a.m. Wednesday at Parkview Hospital. His death was ruled the second homicide in Allen County this year, according to the Allen County Coroner’s Office.
According to court records, Jones had little involvement with police in the past.
The only known local arrest for Jones listed in Allen Superior Court was in June 2008. He was charged with misdemeanor carrying a handgun without a license and found not guilty after a trial.
Court records indicate that he was homeless at the time of the 2008 case. He lived in the 6800 block of John Street in 2007, according to court records.
