Auto Today May 2017

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Another Luzerne County reassessment not in administration’s immediate plans

<p>WILKES-BARRE &#8212; A Wilkes-Barre man accused in a fatal shooting at the Sherman Hills apartment complex will now stand trial on a homicide charge after a preliminary hearing Friday.</p><p>Dominic Jaquariuspa Ray, 25, of Wilkes-Barre, is charged in the October 2016 shooting death of Victor Grandy.</p><p>Ray fled the area after the incident. The U.S. Marshals Service Fugitive Task Force found him in New York City on Jan. 4.</p><p>During an hour-and-a-half preliminary hearing Friday held at the Luzerne County Courthouse for security concerns, assistant prosecutors Tony Ross and Angela Sperazza called Wilkes-Barre Police Det. Shane Yelland to testify. He explained to District Judge Thomas Malloy about security camera footage that police used to identify Ray as the alleged shooter.</p><p>Ray was spotted by several Sherman Hills cameras, including at 300 Parkview Circle, where the shooting occurred.</p><p>Public defender Tom Cometa argued the video footage, which he saw for the first time Friday, was pieced together from different angles.</p><p>&#8220;But the raw footage wasn&#8217;t edited,&#8221; Yelland countered.</p><p>Cometa then asked Yelland if he could identify the three persons who were near Grandy just after his death. Cometa said the video, which reporters did not see, showed there were two people near Grandy and one hovering over him.</p><p>The <a href="https://www.timesleader.com/news/local/653184/sherman-hills-homicide-suspect-arraigned-on-charges" target="_blank">Times Leader previously reported the video shows Grandy, 32, meeting with two men the night of the murder.</a></p><p>Yelland said he believes one was interviewed but wasn&#8217;t sure if the other two were identified.</p><p>Prosecutor Ross asked how the Wilkes-Barre Police Department identified Ray by just using surveillance footage. The detective said he used a still photo from the video to circulate through the department.</p><p>Patrolman Paul Crawford later identified the suspect as Ray.</p><p>When asked about witnesses, Yelland said the police interviewed a man who was identified by his street name: &#8220;K.D.&#8221; Yelland said K.D. and Ray went in opposite directions after the alleged shooting.</p><p>Yelland said using body-language cues exhibited on the video, police determined K.D. and Grandy shared a &#8220;friendly&#8221; handshake. But the body language observed while Ray and Grandy were interacting didn&#8217;t indicate they were on friendly terms . When Grandy tried to walk away, Ray fired in his direction, Yelland said. The footage later shows Grandy running up a ramp toward the apartment complex and collapsing by an entrance.</p><p>Yelland said State Police collected seven 9-mm casings but there was no gun found at the scene or when officers executed a search warrant at Ray&#8217;s apartment several days later.</p><p>Luzerne County Coroner Bill Lisman was also called to testify Friday. He pronounced Grandy dead at the scene.</p><p>Dr. Gary Ross conducted an autopsy Oct. 17, Lisman testified. Ross concluded Grandy suffered two gun wounds &#8212; one in the back and one in his leg &#8212; but the one in his back was fatal. Lisman said Ross&#8217; report showed the fatal shot entered his back, perforated his right lung and heart and exited out his chest.</p><p>Grandy also had facial abrasions from falling on the concrete, Lisman said.</p><p>Cometa argued the video offered &#8220;questionable&#8221; proof on the shooter&#8217;s identity.</p><p>But Judge Malloy agreed the state had enough evidence to proceed and sent homicide and related charges to county court.</p><p>Ray is lodged in the Luzerne County Correctional Facility. He did not qualify for bail because he&#8217;s charged with murder. A formal hearing date was not immediately available.</p><p><ins>For other local crime stories, <a href="https://www.timesleader.com/category/crime" target="_blank">click here</a>.</ins></p><style>
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<div class="neFile"><img class="neImage" src="https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/05/web1_ray2.jpg">
<div class="neCaption">Dominic Jaquariuspa Ray is being led out of the courthouse Friday after a preliminary hearing. </div></div><div class="metaInfo"><photo0>https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/05/web1_ray2.jpg</photo0><caption0>Dominic Jaquariuspa Ray is being led out of the courthouse Friday after a preliminary hearing. </caption0><photoCredit0>Melanie Mizenko | Times Leader </photoCredit0></div><div class="neFile"><img class="neImage" src="https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/05/web1_ray1.jpg">
<div class="neCaption">Dominic Jaquariuspa Ray is being led out of the courthouse Friday after a preliminary hearing. </div></div><div class="metaInfo"><photo1>https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/05/web1_ray1.jpg</photo1><caption1>Dominic Jaquariuspa Ray is being led out of the courthouse Friday after a preliminary hearing. </caption1><photoCredit1>Melanie Mizenko | Times Leader </photoCredit1></div></div>
<div class="metaInfo"><subheadMeta>Police explain how they ID&#8217;d suspect in last fall&#8217;s shooting</subheadMeta></div><div class="metaInfo"><bylineMeta><p>By Melanie Mizenko</p><p>mmizenko@www.timesleader.com</p></bylineMeta></div><div class="metaInfo"><shirttailMeta><p>Reach Melanie Mizenko at 570-991-6116 or on Twitter @TL_MMizenko</p></shirttailMeta></div>

Sherman Hills murder suspect now facing trial