Posted: 1/21/2006 5:48:20 AM EDT
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Couple more stories aobut this. link 3 murder charges for Racine man in connection with car break-in
By David Steinkraus RACINE - His attorney argued for leniency, citing a strong family background and work record, but bail for Adrial C. White was set at $250,000 cash on Friday afternoon when he made his first appearance in Racine County Circuit Court.
White was charged with one count of first-degree intentional homicide while armed for the death of 19-year-old Christopher "Eric" Carbajal, who was shot during an automobile break-in early Wednesday morning. That carries a maximum penalty of life imprisonment plus five years.
He was also charged with two counts of attempted first-degree intentional homicide while armed for wounding 18-year-old Enrico Serra Jr. and for shooting at 18-year-old Phillip Jardina. Each count carries a maximum penalty of 65 years' imprisonment.
People packed the small hearing room in the county's Law Enforcement Center for White's initial appearance. White was in the jail above the hearing room and appeared on camera with his attorney, Robert D'Arruda, of
Milwaukee.
Assistant District Attorney Zoe Stowers argued for the high cash bond, saying: "We have one individual dead who was shot in the back." Two other people were shot at and one was wounded, she said, and homicide is the most severe offense in the state.
D'Arruda asked for a bond of $20,000 or less. White was born and raised in the city and has strong family support, has four children, one a newborn, and has a solid work history, D'Arruda said. He has a minor criminal record, is taking classes to become an auto mechanic and finish his high school diploma, and has held his present job at Wal-Mart for three years.
"And that job is still there for him," he said. "They're holding it for him pending the outcome of this hearing."
Without comment, Court Commissioner Alice Rudebusch acceded to Stowers' bond request and set White's preliminary hearing for 9 a.m. Wednesday. At that hearing, the state will have to convince Judge Gerald Ptacek that there is enough evidence to hold White for trial.
Outside the court, D'Arruda said he was still getting up to speed on the case. The criminal complaint was given to him and Rudebusch as the hearing began.
"Right now I know very little. I was retained 2 hours ago," he said. "But what I know so far is obviously the state believes he committed this crime, which he is adamant that he's innocent. He gave no statement to the police other than a denial, that he did not do this. So I fully expect there will be a trial."
Some people who attended the hearing either wouldn't talk or would say only that they were related to the young men who were shot at. White's supporters were vocal in their insistence that he is not guilty of anything except protecting his property.
After the hearing they stood beside Wisconsin Avenue and waved signs saying "Free Adrial White" and "Not Guilty" at passing cars. And they said they're in the process of setting up a fund to pay for his legal defense.
"He's a wonderful father, and he should not have to go through this," said Stephanie Woodington, mother of three of White's four children: three daughters ages 8, 5, and almost 9 months. "He pays support. He's never late on it. And it's not even a money issue; it's that he's there physically, emotionally, everything."
White drove in the Fourth of July parade regularly as part of the Positive Force Custom Cruisers, a local club that builds fancy show cars, said Jeremy Klimowicz, the club's president.
"We've done a lot of stuff for the community as far as donations and charities and stuff," he said. "He played a big part in building these cars."
"That person that did die, they're treating him like he's a savior. He was the one in the criminal act," said Mary Gister, White's godmother. Her car, too, has been broken into at her north-side home, she said.
"The last report on that, I told the police, I said, `Well, I hope I don't catch them in my car.' A lot of us in the city feel that," Gister said.
"OK, they say it was intent," she said. "We're saying: When is it enough? When is it enough for us to stand up and say we're not doing the criminal act?"
| link Three involved in incident have criminal records
By Journal Times staff A search of the state court system's web site shows that some of the people involved in the Wednesday morning shooting on Arthur Avenue have had criminal charges filed against them in the past or have cases pending.
The court site showed no adult criminal records for Christopher Carbajal, 19, who died as a result of the shooting, or for Phillip Jardina, 18, who was one of the young men with him.
Richard Carbajal, 19, was charged in 2005 with possessing burglary tools and resisting an officer. He was convicted of the resisting charge and fined. Also in 2005, he was charged with misdemeanor property theft. That case is pending.
Enrico Serra Jr., 18, was charged in 2004 with two counts of theft, obstructing an officer, and carrying a concealed weapon - all misdemeanors. He was subsequently convicted on one count of theft and the obstructing charge and place on probation for a year. The other two charges were dismissed but read into the court record. In November 2005, Serra was charged with misdemeanor theft. That case is still pending.
Adrial C. White, 29, who is accused of murder in Carbajal's death, has a record with some traffic charges, some domestic problems and two misdemeanors. In 1995, he was charged with battery and disorderly conduct, both misdemeanors. He was convicted of disorderly conduct and fined. In 2002 he was also charged with misdemeanor disorderly conduct. He was convicted and fined.
| link Court records: What happened in the alley
By Journal Times staff Based on the criminal complaint filed in Racine County Circuit Court on Friday, here is the sequence of events which led to the death of Christopher "Eric" Carbajal, 19, early Wednesday morning.
From the evening of Tuesday and into Wednesday morning, Phillip Jardina, 18, was driving around in his mother's Plymouth van with Carbajal, Enrico Serra Jr., 18, and Richard Carbajal, 19.
Serra and Christopher Carbajal told him where to drive, and around 4:30 a.m. Wednesday they told him to park in the 1400 block of Arthur Avenue. Christopher Carbajal and Serra got out of the van and walked into the alley between Arthur and Blaine Avenues.
When they had been gone for more than 2 minutes, Jardina became worried and went to look for them. He found them at a white Saturn, with the doors and trunk open. Christopher Carbajal was in the back seat and Serra was in the front.
A house door opened, and a black man came out wearing only shorts or long boxers and demanding to know what the young men were doing.
Jardina turned and ran, and heard gunshots behind him. Police later found a hole where a bullet had apparently passed through all three shirts he was wearing but without breaking his skin.
He reached the van and started to drive, picking up Serra, who was bleeding from the face and mouth. An X-ray later showed a bullet lodged in his lower left jaw.
Jardina saw Christopher Carbajal lying in the alley, and Richard dragged him in. At first the men drove to St. Luke's Hospital, and when they realized its emergency room had closed, they drove to St. Mary's Medical Center. Christopher Carbajal died there as the result of a gunshot wound in the back.
A police officer called to the scene on a report of gunshots found Adrial White, shirtless, standing at the Saturn with two women. All three said they had not heard any shots.
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