Detroit man faces January trial in eight-year-old's shooting death
By Aaron Foley DETROIT (Reuters) - A Detroit man accused of killing an 8-year-old boy while he slept in a revenge shooting will stand trial in January, a judge ordered on Thursday. Calvin Mosby, 28, and Devaunte Starks, 17, a teenager accused of breaking into the child's home as the man's accomplice, pleaded not guilty on Thursday in Wayne County Circuit Court to their respective charges stemming from the July 30 shooting death of Jakari Pearson. Prosecutors have accused Mosby of retaliating against an ex-girlfriend by firing several rounds from an AK-47 assault rifle into her son's bedroom early one July morning. He could be sentenced to life in prison if convicted. The day before, the woman told police she believed Mosby had burglarized her home, but prosecutors later charged Starks with home invasion and being an accomplice to the boy's shooting. A judge last week dismissed a murder charge against Starks, but he is charged with home invasion, accessory to murder and carrying a concealed weapon, for which he faces at least 15 years in prison if convicted. The boy's killing came as law enforcement was increasing efforts to curb violence in Detroit, which has increasingly affected young children in recent years. Mosby and Starks are being held. Trial was set for Jan. 12. (Reporting by Aaron Foley; Editing by David Bailey and San dra Maler)
