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<p>HAZLETON &#8212; A man facing a single homicide charge from a fatal stabbing in September is heading to higher court.</p><p>Gene Hawkins, 45, of Grant Street, appeared before District Judge James Dixon on Friday for a preliminary hearing. Hawkins faces one count of criminal homicide in the death of Lashaun Overton, 34, of Brooklyn, New York, who had lived in the same apartment complex as Hawkins.</p><p>Dixon heard testimony from Lee Cain, 50, who was sitting outside the apartments with friends on Sept. 3 when the stabbing occurred. Cain testified that he watched a verbal argument ensue between Hawkins, also known as &#8220;Sin&#8221;, and Overton, also known as &#8220;Black.&#8221;</p><p>Cain testified that he saw Hawkins leave the apartment where Overton was briefly, only to return later with a large kitchen knife.</p><p>&#8220;He wasn&#8217;t trying to hide it,&#8221; Cain testified.</p><p>Rasun Tyler, 34, testified that he was good friends with Overton, going so far as describing him as a &#8220;brother.&#8221; Tyler, who also lives in the apartment complex, said that he was present at the time of the argument and unsuccessfully tried to calm both men down.</p><p>Tyler said that Overton liked to collect knives, and that he was holding two at the time of the argument. He testified that Hawkins said &#8220;you got your toys, I&#8217;ll go get mine and we&#8217;ll play.&#8221;</p><p>Tyler left briefly and later returned to see Hawkins talking to a man only known as &#8220;Philly Boy,&#8221; with Overton somewhere behind him. Tyler also testified to seeing the knife glimmer in the dark due to nearby lights.</p><p>Tyler testified that Hawkins pushed &#8220;Philly Boy&#8221; out of the way, leaped up the stairs and stabbed Overton in the chest.</p><p>&#8220;It happened that fast,&#8221; Tyler said, becoming visibly emotional at times.</p><p>Tyler explained that Overton disliked that Hawkins would continuously ask for food or to borrow things. Cain also testified that the argument did not appear to be friendly.</p><p>At one point, Tyler spoke directly to Hawkins.</p><p>&#8220;Me personally, I never thought you were like that,&#8221; Tyler said. Dixon reminded Tyler that he was not to address Hawkins.</p><p>Hawkins did not reply.</p><p>According to court records, police responding to a report of gunshots just before 11:30 p.m. that night in the area of 21st and Grant streets found an unresponsive Overton laying in the west end of the parking lot at 1000 Grant St. with blood under his body and two knives laying nearby, one of them covered in blood.</p><p>An autopsy by forensic pathologist Mary Pascucci revealed that Overton died from a stab wound to the chest. Luzerne County Coroner William Lisman ruled the death a homicide.</p><p>Tyler and Cain both testified that after Overton was allegedly stabbed, Hawkins walked away from the area. Cain said that Overton followed him, grasping his chest where he was allegedly stabbed and fired three rounds with a gun in the direction where Hawkins went.</p><p>Cain and Tyler testified Overton then collapsed on the ground. Nearby neighbors tried to get him in the back of a car to take him to the hospital but ultimately left him where he was.</p><p>Tyler testified that he &#8220;froze&#8221; in shock, while Cain testified that he was there with Overton during his last moments.</p><p>&#8220;I was the only one that stayed with Black while he died,&#8221; Cain said. &#8220;They all left him there to die.&#8221;</p><p>A Pennsylvania State Police Forensic Services Unit processed the crime scene and found, in addition to the two knives, several bullet casings in the parking lot. Investigators learned from the Hazleton Police Department&#8217;s Narcotics Unit that &#8220;the apartment complex was known to be an area of high illegal drug and narcotic activity,&#8221; court papers state.</p><p>Dixon forwarded the case onto higher court. Dixon said a formal arraignment date would be scheduled by court administrators, but the date was not immediately known on Friday.</p><p>Hawkins was represented by attorneys Janan Tallo and Edward Olexa. Assistant District Attorneys Angela Sperrazza and Daniel Zola prosecuted the hearing.</p><p>Both the prosecution and the defense declined to comment after the hearing.</p><style>
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<div class="neCaption">Gene Hawkins is led by Hazleton police Detective Joseph Labert, left, and Detective Cpl. David Rodick, followed by Luerne County Detective Charles Balogh, to his preliminary arraignment on a homicide charge in the stabbing of Lashaun Overton in Hazleton in September. </div></div><div class="metaInfo"><photo0>https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/11/web1_Hazleton_1_crop_toned1.jpg</photo0><caption0>Gene Hawkins is led by Hazleton police Detective Joseph Labert, left, and Detective Cpl. David Rodick, followed by Luerne County Detective Charles Balogh, to his preliminary arraignment on a homicide charge in the stabbing of Lashaun Overton in Hazleton in September. </caption0><photoCredit0></photoCredit0></div></div>
<div class="metaInfo"><bylineMeta><p>By Travis Kellar</p><p>tkellar@www.timesleader.com</p></bylineMeta></div><div class="metaInfo"><shirttailMeta><p>Reach Travis Kellar at 570-991-6389 or on Twitter @TLNews</p></shirttailMeta></div>

Man accused in fatal stabbing headed to higher court