One of two men charged with murder in the death of a Grant Avenue teenager last year has pleaded guilty to wanton endangerment instead.
Michael Serrano, 18, of Bronx, N.Y., agreed to plead guilty by way of an information and will have an indictment against him dismissed by prosecutors. An information is a method of charging someone with a crime, and usually indicates their cooperation with prosecutors.
The man was arrested in New York and extradited to Charleston.
Serrano agreed to testify against Brandon George "Young Gunna" Sherrod, 19, of Seventh Avenue in his plea deal.
Serrano told Kanawha Circuit Judge Charles King that while he shot at the Grant Street apartment of James "Baby Goon" Williams, 19, he said Sherrod fired the shots that killed him on Nov. 3.
Serrano said he and Sherrod had met about a week earlier and were hanging out at Sherrod's West Washington Street house, across from Young's Department Store, that night with some other men.
"Then we went to Grant Street, to his house," Serrano said. "Me, Brandon and the two drivers. We went into the alleyway behind his house and shots were fired into his window.
"I took my firearm and discharged it at the apartment one time," Serrano said. "He shot four or five times."
King questioned Serrano about why the men went to Williams' house in the first place, and how they knew him, but Serrano's answers were vague.
"You did not know he was going to shoot at and kill Mr. Williams?" King asked him.
One of two men charged with murder in the death of a Grant Avenue teenager last year has pleaded guilty to wanton endangerment instead.
Michael Serrano, 18, of Bronx, N.Y., agreed to plead guilty by way of an information and will have an indictment against him dismissed by prosecutors. An information is a method of charging someone with a crime, and usually indicates their cooperation with prosecutors.
The man was arrested in New York and extradited to Charleston.
Serrano agreed to testify against Brandon George "Young Gunna" Sherrod, 19, of Seventh Avenue in his plea deal.
Serrano told Kanawha Circuit Judge Charles King that while he shot at the Grant Street apartment of James "Baby Goon" Williams, 19, he said Sherrod fired the shots that killed him on Nov. 3.
Serrano said he and Sherrod had met about a week earlier and were hanging out at Sherrod's West Washington Street house, across from Young's Department Store, that night with some other men.
"Then we went to Grant Street, to his house," Serrano said. "Me, Brandon and the two drivers. We went into the alleyway behind his house and shots were fired into his window.
"I took my firearm and discharged it at the apartment one time," Serrano said. "He shot four or five times."
King questioned Serrano about why the men went to Williams' house in the first place, and how they knew him, but Serrano's answers were vague.
"You did not know he was going to shoot at and kill Mr. Williams?" King asked him.
"I thought our intention was to shoot up this apartment," he said. "And that's it. When we got back in that car he said, 'I shot him.' " Williams told the judge.
"But we didn't really know until we saw it on the news," he said.
"Do you have any idea at all why he would want to shoot Mr. Williams?" King asked him.
"No," Serrano replied. "I went along on a ride. We just wanted to take a ride and shoot an apartment up."
At one point during that questioning, a woman later identified as the mother of Williams' child, stood up and yelled, then exited the courtroom. The judge had bailiffs take her into temporary custody before she could leave the courthouse.
Serrano, who also goes by the name "White Mike," has been held without bond since his arrest in February. He'll return to court Nov. 1 for sentencing and could spend one to five years in prison.
Assistant Prosecutor Maryclaire Akers said police evidence collected at the scene showed that Williams was killed by a bullet from a .40 caliber handgun, the kind Serrano said the man had used. A bullet recovered from a nearby apartment, shot from a 9mm handgun, matched the one Serrano said he used, she told the judge.
Sherrod was also in the courtroom Monday and requested that his trial on a charge of first-degree murder be postponed until Nov. 1. That request was granted by the judge. He also is being held without bond at South Central Regional Jail.
Contact writer Cheryl Caswell at cher...@dailymail.com or 304-348-4832.
