Case Acquitted: Witnesses Give Details of Shooting and Stabbing Incident

By Nick Pallotto [former] - November 29, 2023
Daily Stories | Shooting | stabbing | Suspects |

This case was acquitted on Dec. 1, 2023.

On Nov. 28, a witness gave insight into what he experienced on the day of a shooting and robbery incident following opening statements by the parties. 

Randy Deleon, 46, is charged with three counts of assault with a dangerous weapon and one count of possession of a firearm during a crime of violence for his alleged involvement in a shooting and stabbing incident, which occurred at a family-owned restaurant, at the intersection of Lamont and 17th Street, NW, on Aug. 27. The incident left one victim suffering from a stab wound. No injuries were reported from the gunshot.

Before opening statements, the parties addressed two motions filed by the defense on Nov. 16. 

According to court documents, the first motion filed by the defense on Nov. 16 asks that any evidence Deleon wishes to present will not lead into a discussion by the prosecution about his prior convictions of carrying a pistol without license from 2000 and 2001.

Additionally, the second motion filed asks that his prior convictions not be used by prosecutors to suggest that he is not a peaceful person. 

Deleon’s defense attorney, Peter Odom, told DC Superior Court Judge Michael Ryan that it simply doesn’t make sense to bring up his past criminal history for this case and that it would be a violation of Deleon’s First, Fourth, and Sixth Amendment rights. 

Judge Ryan, in making his ruling, said that he doesn’t see any evidentiary value in considering Deleon’s past criminal history, granting the defense’s motion to not have it discussed in detail at the trial. 

However, Judge Ryan said that it is “fair game” for the prosecution to mention that he has a criminal history, but details of his criminal history will not be admitted as evidence during the trial. 

In their opening statements, prosecutors told the jury that, at the beginning of the altercation, Deleon told the owner of a family-owned restaurant,   “You are not the king,” and was armed with a gun and knife. According to prosecutors, the owner of the restaurant was armed with what looked like a piece of tin foil. 

The prosecution said Deleon fired a shot at the owner of the restaurant but it thankfully didn’t hit him.

They closed their statement by saying this case is about jealousy and anger and urged the jury to pay attention to the testimony of the witnesses during the trial and consider a verdict of guilty based on what Deleon did to the victims.

In the defense’s opening statement, Odom argued everything Deleon did on the day of the incident was in self-defense. Odom claimed that a victim swung a weapon at Deleon and the owner of the restaurant assisted in the attack against him. 

According to Odom, Deleon was attempting to settle a dispute with the owner of the restaurant and fled the scene after the altercation, wanting nothing to do with it. 

Odom argued the owner of the restaurant changed his story about his possession of a weapon various times throughout the investigation. Initially, he said he had a piece of tin foil but later mentioned that it was a machete wrapped in tinfoil.

“Why did the police never ask where the owner got the machete? Was it from the restaurant or from his car?” questioned Odom. 

In finishing his statement, Odom blamed a blind police investigation and highlighted the fact that the owner of the restaurant was armed at the time of the incident. He asked the jury to consider a verdict of not guilty once all of the witness testimony has been presented.

After opening statements, prosecutors called their first witness, the son of the owner of the restaurant who was stabbed during the incident.

According to the witness, on the day of the incident, he was down the street from the restaurant standing near a bus stop cutting down flags because Cinco de Mayo had passed. 

He told prosecutors he saw a red SUV pull behind a black car, which belonged to his father. The victim said he saw a man hop out of the red car and walk to the window of the black car.

According to the victim, he saw the two individuals, who he identified as Deleon and his father, get out of their cars and begin to argue. He noted that they eventually made their way in front of the restaurant, where he recalls seeing a knife and a belt or a chain swinging back and forth from Deleon.

The victim told prosecutors he knew it was Deleon because Deleon owns a shoe store across the street. 

According to the witness, when he realized an altercation was occurring, he ran over to where Deleon was and grabbed the belt and wrapped it around his hands and put his foot behind Deleon’s foot, and tripped him up. 

The victim testified that his father grabbed a metal rod from his car and started to hit the hands of Deleon to get the knife out. 

According to the victim, Deleon had another knife in his pocket, which he removed to prevent him from using it.

After the incident was over, according to the victim, as he was walking back to the restaurant a customer came up to him and said he had been stabbed. 

Not long after the customer told him this, a waitress informed him that Deleon was coming back. The victim said that he and the waitress rushed to a nearby bus stop and hid behind it. 

The victim recalls seeing Deleon walk toward his father’s black car and load the firearm. Deleon pointed the firearm at the car as the owner was pulling out of the spot and he said he heard one shot and ran with the waitress into the restaurant.

After Deleon fired the shot, the victim testified that once he was back in the restaurant he put the knives in the kitchen. 

The victim couldn’t confirm the name of Deleon’s shoe store to prosecutors, he said that two days after the incident, he and his brother called the police after seeing Deleon in the shop.

Due to time constraints, the victim was not able to finish his testimony. 

The trial resumes Nov. 29.