By Ray King
A second suspect has been arrested in the Christmas Day 2021 shooting of a Pine Bluff man in the parking lot of a nightclub on South Blake Street.
The 15-year-old suspect, whose last name is Dorn, was taken into custody Sunday and when interviewed, told police he met his mother, Stacey Slack at the 410 Lounge after she had left the casino and later was asked to drive Darnell Ford and another person to Ernesto’s to “take care of the victim Deondriick Clark and a second man.”
The first suspect, Ford, 20, was arrested Thursday.
Dorn also told police he had a gun at the time but the other two killed Clark.
Slack is currently being held on $50,000 bond on probable cause of four counts of being a felon in possession of a firearm after police found four guns at her residence on Faucett Road in March while arresting a suspect in an unrelated homicide.
During a court hearing for Ford and Dorn Monday, Deputy Prosecutor Shana Alexander said at 4:45 a.m. officers were in the area of Rhinehart and Myrtle when they heard gunshots from the area of Blake and the Martha Mitchell Expressway. They saw several vehicles leaving Ernesto’s at a high rate of speed and a witness reported that there was a gunshot victim in a grey Ford Fusion.
Clark was found in the vehicle with a gunshot wound to the right side of the neck and later died.
Alexander said shell casings were found behind the car and on the driver’s side.
Detective Corey Wilfong interviewed Slack who said she had left the casino and gone to the 410 Lounge but did not go in because it was too crowded.
Alexander said Wilfong interviewed the second shooting victim who said one of the people shooting at him was known as Diggie and he identified Ford as Diggie from a six-man photo lineup.
Police reported that on Thursday an officer saw Ford enter a house on Shady Grove and when detectives arrived, Ford ran out the back door but was arrested. He threw a gun over a fence while running but the weapon was located and was identified as a 40-caliber Glock with a switch that allowed it to be fully automatic. Ford asked for an attorney and was not interviewed.
In a press release Monday announcing the arrest of the juvenile, police said the investigation into the shooting is continuing with efforts to identify and locate a third suspect.
Ford and Dorn will be held without bond on probable cause of capital murder, terroristic act, and possession of a prohibited weapon. Dorn will also be held on one count of first-degree battery. Both said they would hire their own attorneys.
