A pinky fingerprint led Allegheny County detectives to a second suspect in a botched November burglary that ended with a North Braddock man shot to death in front of his 6-year-old son, according to police.
Juwaun Austin, 17, is charged with homicide in connection with the Nov. 7 death of Theodore Jones.
Jones was shot to death mid-afternoon when, according to police, he interrupted a burglary at his Beech Street home. His 6-year-old son told police when they’d pulled up to the house, an unfamiliar Jeep Grand Cherokee was in their usual parking space and a black safe from inside the home was in the alley.
The child told police a man came out of the home and shot Jones multiple times, according to the criminal complaint.
Tracking dogs later found a handgun, casings and two black ski masks along nearby Oak Street, according to the complaint. Another ski mask was found on the front porch railing of Jones’s home, and a witness told police he saw three men run from the scene after shots were fired, according to the complaint.
Austin was on juvenile probation at the time Jones was killed, and police said records for Nov. 7 show there was no location data recorded between 2:17 p.m. and 7:52 p.m., according to the complaint.
Investigators took fingerprints from Austin last week at the Shuman Juvenile Detention Center, according to the complaint. He initially identified himself to them as Khalil Murray, police said. Tattoos on his arms matched those in previous photos of Austin, police said, and prior intake photos of Austin taken at the center also matched the teenager calling himself Kalil Murray.
Austin’s fingerprints were collected Friday, and on Wednesday investigators received word that a fingerprint found on Jones’s black safe matched the right pinky finger of Austin, according to the complaint.
Austin is charged with homicide, conspiracy and burglary.
Another teen, Duwan Carey, 18, was charged Dec. 31 in connection with the same crime.
