Alleged Courtdale shooter captured in Ohio
Jan. 16—COURTDALE — A 21-year-old Exeter resident charged with shooting another man Christmas night in Courtdale was captured in Ohio, the Pennsylvania State Police at Wilkes-Barre announced Tuesday.
Wadee Thaer Abda Dwikat, of Sturmer Street, was taken into custody by the Warren, Ohio, police department and the Pennsylvania State Police Fugitive Task Force on an arrest warrant charging him with criminal attempt to commit criminal homicide, burglary, aggravated assault, theft and criminal trespass.
The warrant signed by District Judge David A. Barilla of Forty Fort was issued Jan. 11.
According to the criminal complaint:
State police responded to Memorial Highway in Courtdale on a report a man suffered a gunshot wound just after 11:30 p.m. on Dec. 25.
The victim, Baker Zayad Baker Audaall, called 911 saying, "somebody shoot me," and told the 911 call taker he did not know who shot him.
Audaall walked from the residence to Memorial Highway where he was encountered by state police investigators.
Audaall was found to have sustained a gunshot wound to his chest and was transported to Geisinger Wyoming Valley Medical Center in Plains Township.
Several hours after the shooting, investigators interviewed Dwikat.
During the interview, Dwikat claimed he was on vacation with Audaall and Audaall's wife in Florida. Upon returning to Pennsylvania, Dwikat claimed his cellular phone died and he went to his Exeter residence to charge his phone.
While Dwikat was at his Exeter residence, he told investigators he received a phone call that Audaall had been shot, the complaint says.
Investigators recovered .45-caliber shell casings and bullet fragments from inside the Courtdale residence.
Audaall told investigators he returned to Pennsylvania from Florida with his wife that he dropped off at their residence before going to the Courtdale residence, the complaint says.
Audaall claimed he was on an international phone call with his sister when he was shot as he entered the Courtdale residence.
While at Geisinger the night of the shooting, Dwikat learned investigators were requesting Audaall's visitors to submit to gunshot residue tests. Dwikat became nervous, went to a restroom and washed his hands, the complaint says.
Investigators obtained surveillance footage from several locations that showed Dwikat driving a red Mercedes Benz convertible driving on Memorial Highway turning onto Carverton Road in Kingston Township after the shooting, according to the complaint.
Other footage obtained by investigators showed Dwikat at a Turkey Hill store in Pittston where he discards items in a trash can at 12:16 a.m. on Dec. 26, and purchases $40 worth of gasoline before going to a tavern in Jenkins Township where he opened a tab at 12:44 a.m. on Dec. 26, the complaint says.
Several motorists who were traveling on Memorial Highway at the time of the shooting reported seeing a man running along the highway toward Kingston Township.
State police said the shooting was an isolated incident.
Dwikat is jailed in Ohio pending extradition to Luzerne County on the arrest warrant.
