Suspects sought victim over stolen marijuana

By Marcia Moore
The Daily Item

May 13, 2009 07:12 am

— HUMMELS WHARF — Three men are accused of killing a 19-year-old man in his apartment Monday night over an argument about marijuana, state police at Selinsgrove said.
Charged in the killing of Steven Rodriguez, 19, of 2078 N. Susquehanna Trail, Apt. 2, Selinsgrove, are alleged shooter David Cannie Jr., 27, of Philadelphia; and two accomplices, Ibrahim Musa Wells, 25, of Mill Hall; and Abdul Malik Saeed Walker, 25, of 1740 Memorial Ave., Williamsport.
Wells told state police that Walker asked him to go to Selinsgrove to assist in confronting people who had stolen marijuana from him days earlier, a criminal complaint said.
The pair, along with Cannie, met at Walker’s girlfriend’s apartment in White Deer Commons in New Columbia and together the trio drove to Rodriguez’s apartment above the Rental Shop off Routes 11-15 at about 11:30 p.m. Monday.
All three went to the apartment armed, Cannie with a 9 mm semi-automatic handgun, Wells with a .22-caliber pistol and Walker with a shotgun, Snyder County District Attorney Michael Sholley said.
Rodriguez and at least three unidentified people were inside the apartment, Sholley said.
An argument erupted, Wells told police, and Walker struck Rodriguez, telling him, “You had done me wrong.”
Rodriguez was on the floor and attempting to get up when Cannie told him to stay down and shot him in the left thigh just above the knee, the complaint said.
Despite the gunshot wound, Rodriguez continued to approach Cannie, and Wells said he saw Cannie raise the weapon toward Rodriguez’s chest and then he heard a second shot.
The three suspects fled the apartment and in the car, Wells told police that Cannie said, “It’s done.”
After the shooting, they drove to a Lewisburg home owned by Walker’s relative and stashed the three weapons, the complaint said. The weapons were later recovered by police.
Witnesses at the apartment drove Rodriguez to Sunbury Community Hospital before calling 911 and describing the Plymouth they saw the suspects flee in.
Rodriguez was pronounced dead from a gunshot wound to the chest at 12:24 a.m. Tuesday by Dr. Catherine Rollins. An autopsy is scheduled for today at Lehigh Valley Hospital in Allentown.
Lewisburg police spotted a vehicle fitting the description of the Plymouth traveling north on Route 15, the complaint said.
Cpl. Travis Burrows of the state police at Milton tried to stop the 1994 Plymouth Acclaim and a pursuit ensued.
The chase went from Route 15 to Route 1011, through West Milton and into New Columbia, where the suspects crashed into a tree near the Short Stop Market at the intersection of Routes 15 and 1008.
Sometime around 12:30 a.m., Fred Loreman, 43, was listening to a police scanner inside his house near the Short Stop when he heard a vehicle was being pursued in his neighborhood.
“My ears perked up,” Loreman said.
He stuck his head outside the kitchen door and saw a fast-moving vehicle traveling north on Old Route 15 with police cars in close pursuit.
“Thank God the cops were behind him with lights and sirens because that guy was really moving,” he said.
Loreman said it appeared the suspect made a wrong turn and crashed into a tree behind the convenient store next door.
“I was scared,” he said. “I thought he was going to hit my house. I’ve got two young kids and they were asleep.”
“There were dozens of police in the area, swarming like bees,” Loreman said, describing the action as like “watching an episode of ‘Cops’” on television.
The three suspects got out of the vehicle and ran through a wooded area and into the parking lot of White Deer Commons housing complex, where they were seen getting into two separate vehicles, the complaint said.
Cannie and Walker were nabbed inside a 2001 Cadillac SLS bearing a Delaware registration.
Wells was seen fleeing in a 1998 Oldsmobile Cutlass with a Pennsylvania registration and was later stopped and taken into custody, the complaint said.
Cannie, Walker and Wells were each arraigned on criminal homicide, criminal conspiracy, burglary, possessing instruments of a crime, aggravated assault and criminal trespass before District Judge Edward Mihalik Jr. late Tuesday afternoon.
All three are being held without bail at Snyder County Jail pending a preliminary hearing scheduled for May 22.
Sholley lauded the police for having the suspects in custody within about an hour of the shooting.
State police at Selinsgrove were assisted by state police at Milton and Stonington; borough police from Lewisburg, Watsontown, Shamokin Dam, Northumberland and Mifflinburg; Sunbury city police; and police from East Buffalo and Point townships.
Police continue to investigate the killing, but Sholley said there’s no evidence gang activity was involved.
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