A carjacking attempt ended in a tragic turn of events. One assailant was killed and the other faces multiple criminal charges including murder. Two assailants tried to carjack a citizen armed who refused to give up his vehicle.
The encounter occurred on October 28, in the parking area of HotShots Bar & Grill, a suburb in Missouri called Webster Groves.
What started as one thing quickly turned into much more once police arrived, according to [Lt. Jillian] McCoy.
“We received a service call.” It was a call about a stolen car. “Upon arrival, the officers found a victim on the ground,” she said.
Police were told by a man that he had been sitting in his vehicle when he heard the glass break. McCoy reported that when the man stepped out of his vehicle, he saw men in black ski masks rushing towards him.
She said, “Any normal person would be scared for their life when two people wearing black ski masks are coming at you at a high speed after they have committed several felonies.”
McCoy claimed that the gunman killed Javion Bibby, a 19-year-old because he was aiming at him.
McCoy reported that Ronnie Jewett (18 years old), Bibby’s alleged accomplice, raised the gun and pointed it at McCoy. The victim fired several shots toward Jewett’s area.
McCoy stated that Jewett ran to the Affton region, where he was quickly found by police.
Jewett faces a multitude of charges. The prosecution charges him with second-degree felony murder. He is also charged with armed criminal actions, attempted theft of a car, and tampering with physical evidence. The bond was set at $1,000,000, in cash only. This case is notable because under Missouri law a person may be charged with murder when death occurs while committing a crime in which they were an accomplice.
After investigating the incident, law enforcement determined that he had acted in his own self-defense.
This story also revealed an organized crime ring that was operating in the St. Louis region. The two assailants belonged to the same crime ring, and they were both dangerous people.
It is another example of how gun ownership is important, even in areas with low crime rates. The area where this altercation occurred is in a relatively well-to-do part of St. Louis’ metropolitan area, which does not have high crime rates. One can never be sure if bad actors are waiting in the shadows to take advantage of them. In this case, it is possible that members of the carjacking ring thought they could get more money by stealing a better-quality vehicle.
If the citizen was not armed, things could have been very different. In many cases, thieves harm or kill their victims. It is for this reason that it is best to arm yourself rather than rely on law enforcement.
