5 face attempted murder charges in Fountain burglary
Five people face attempted murder charges in Fountain after a man was found beaten in his mobile home.
Fountain police said the case dates to Aug. 6, when officers responded to an unrelated disturbance call in the 700 block of Crest Drive.
While searching for people involved in the disturbance, a mobile home door opened and a man collapsed on the floor.
“His legs fell out of the door,” said Detective Sheyna Marshall. “He didn’t even come out of the door.”
Police said Jeremy Otto, 33, of Fountain, had suffered severe head wounds but could not tell investigators what happened and still doesn’t remember the incident.
“I spent a little over three weeks in a hospital,” Otto said while showing a long scar with metal clips on his head. “I still can’t work. I’m very frustrated.”
An investigation showed that Otto was beaten with several items — including a hammer and a shovel — during a burglary two days earlier. Police said his work van filled with $10,000 worth of tools was stolen during the burglary.
“They just left him to die,” Marshall said. “That’s the scary part, the inhumanity of it. If they did it to him, they could have done it to someone else.”
The five people arrested on attempted murder, burglary, trespass and conspiracy charges are: Dominiq Eushan Iven Jones, 26; Deneisha Nicole Slater, 30; Jonte Kalial Travon Calvin, 20; Robert Joseph Clawson, 34; and Jade Tyron Nelson, 20. All except Slater are male.
Police said neighbors didn’t see or hear anything on the night of the assault — including Otto’s grandmother, Jetty Calhoun, who lives across the street.
“I didn’t think anything was wrong because his vehicle was gone,” Calhoun said. “He works a lot. But on that morning, I saw police cars and ambulances outside and wondered who it was. I went out to see, and it was my grandson.”
Marshall said Slater was a friend whom Otto had hired, loaned money to and had helped find a place to live. Although Marshall said the victim and the other suspects were acquaintances, Otto said he knows only Slater and Jones.
Police recovered the stolen van and found evidence that led them to Jones, Marshall said. He was arrested three weeks ago. Two suspects already in jail on other charges and the two remaining suspects were arrested Thursday and Friday.
“Jones initially ran from us and we were in a foot chase with him,” Marshall said. “But he eventually surrendered.”
Marshall said the suspects may have sold the stolen property for drug money because the suspects have prior criminal records on crimes ranging from illegal drugs to auto theft.
Police have yet to find the stolen property.
