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Clearwater detectives charge 17-year-old with 2nd degree murder in fatal carjacking

Victim shoots at suspects in stolen car
Posted at 10:12 PM, Oct 16, 2017
and last updated 2017-10-18 13:06:46-04

Clearwater Police Detectives have charged a 17-year-old with Second-Degree Murder in a fatal carjacking that took place on Monday night where his friend was shot and killed.

According to Clearwater police, the shooting happened shortly after 8 p.m. at the Bank of America at the corner of Belcher and Belleair roads.

 

 

Police say that 18-year-old Lasupta Singletary of Zephyrhills and 17-year-old Jernalen Dreshaw Coleman arranged to meet with Louise Ornduff and her son, Kalaeb, in the parking lot of the Bank of America in reference to the possible sale of a Nissan Rogue.

Coleman and Singletary were armed and demanded the keys to the Hyundai Veloster that Kalaeb Ornduff had been driving.

As the two left the scene in the Veloster, Louise Ornduff fired a shot, striking Singletary. Coleman drove the car to Mease Countryside Hospital, where Singletary was pronounced dead.

 

 

Guns related to the incident were recovered. 

“The investigation is ongoing. There’s some complications and questions over the transaction that occurred in this parking lot and the circumstances of how these two groups came together," Clearwater PD Deputy Chief Eric Gandy said.

Authorities said both men have criminal histories. ABC Action News learned 6 months ago, authorities charged Singletary in a gun burglary caught on camera in Zephyrhills. 

“Based on their history, which you can see before you, and the fact they were engaged in an armed robbery, leads something to...to their character I would say," Gandy said.

Coleman was charged with second-degree felony murder and armed robbery.

The Clearwater Police Department and Pinellas-Pasco State Attorney's Office will review the case for any possible charges against Louise Ornduff.