A District Heights, Maryland, man was ordered held without bond Monday afternoon following his arrest over the weekend on murder charges.
During the brief bond hearing, both sides agreed there was an argument at the home of 28-year-old Donte Williams, who was shot in the face around 11:30 a.m. Saturday and died minutes later at the hospital.
But a public defender for 31-year-old JC Littlejohn seemed ready to dispute the story told in charging documents that led to his client’s arrest.
According to a witness, Littlejohn showed up at Williams’s home and knocked on the door demanding payment of a small debt.
“Some of the allegations that were mentioned in court today are very concerning,” said Prince George’s County State’s Attorney Aisha Braveboy.
“Potentially, we’re talking about a dispute over $10. It’s almost unimaginable, unbelievable,” she said.
The judge overseeing the bail review noted that Littlejohn had been arrested multiple times on weapons charges. Braveboy stressed that in this situation, the investigation is just beginning.
“It’s really hard to say exactly what happened. We know at least what’s in the initial police report, but that could change depending on the information that we gain from witnesses,” she cautioned.
But Braveboy also admitted what seems like petty disputes can turn deadly when firearms become involved.
“I’ve heard of many cases, unfortunately, when people are hotheaded and have access to weapons, disputes erupt over very minor things that end up in tragedy,” she said. ” It appears that that’s what happened in this case, but we’ll continue to investigate and make charging decisions.”
