Elkhart teen requests public defender for murder trial

Jan. 26—GOSHEN — An Elkhart teen was in Elkhart County Circuit Court again Thursday to request a public defender for his charge of murder.

Correon Meux is accused of killing Logan Nussbaum, 18, Goshen, in an Oct. 15 shooting.

According to Elkhart city police, Nussbaum was shot while driving at 2:45 p.m. in the 1200 block of Burr Oak Place, causing him to crash into two unoccupied parked cars and subsequently the tree line adjacent to Carriage House Apartments. Officers initiated first aid, but Nussbaum was pronounced dead at the scene.

Due to Meux's own admission of gang affiliation, as well as the nature of the allegations, Meux, 15, was waived to adult court, according to court documents. Meux claimed affiliation with the Woody Kappa Gang, although according to the order waiving him, family, friends and teachers found him to be a "good kid," and they were unaware of his daily marijuana and social ecstasy usage or gang affiliation.

Meux informed the court that his mom requested a public defender while they raise the money for a private attorney.

Meux's case is scheduled for jury trial Aug. 7.

ALVIN SANDERS

Alvin Sanders III, 20, appeared in court Thursday for a trial status conference on a charge of murder. He was arrested July 25. According to the charging affidavit, Sanders and Da'quavion Wiley, 17, are believed to be responsible for the May 1, 2021, shooting of a 15-year-old boy, who was found outside a McKinley Avenue home, shot in the neck.

The prosecution informed Judge Michael Christofeno that the case was filed jointly and the trials for Sanders and Wiley aren't set jointly. The trial is scheduled for Sept. 18, with a status conference Aug. 17, and a hearing will be held on March 9 to determine whether they will hold the two hearings together as filed.

DOMINIQUE EDWARDS

For the second time, Dominique Edwards refused to attend court proceedings for his charge of attempted murder. Edwards also refused to attend on Dec. 15.

Edwards is accused of shooting and injuring his father, Anthony Shaw, while at Shaw's home along the 1600 block of Stevens Avenue in Elkhart the night of Nov. 20, 2020, according to his charging affidavit. He faces charges of attempted murder, a Level 1 felony, and two misdemeanor counts of resisting law enforcement.

While visiting the home, witnesses said Edwards grabbed a pillow, went to Shaw's bedroom and fired a gun through the pillow at him, the affidavit reads. Prior to the shooting, witnesses described Edwards as acting strangely and possibly being on drugs.

Shaw, who was shot in the leg and abdomen, told police Edwards said something to the effect of, "Sorry, pops, but I have to kill you," before he opened fire, according to details in the probable cause affidavit in the case.

Another man at the house told police he then tackled Edwards, knocking the gun out of his hand. The man said he fought Edwards and chased him out of the house, according to the affidavit.

Edwards was located and arrested in December 2020 after an Elkhart officer was dispatched to the 1600 block of Morehouse Avenue to investigate a report of suspicious activity, the affidavit shows.

A series of competency evaluations are awaiting final review. Edwards' trial was continued to Aug. 21 due to another trial scheduled for Feb. 20.

CRISTIAN A. PARADA QUINTANILLA

A burglary suspect's initial hearing was reset last week after the defendant explained to Elkhart County Circuit Court Judge Michael Christofeno during the early moments of the trial that he didn't speak English. The initial hearing took place Thursday in front of Magistrate Eric Ditton with a translator.

Translator Adrian Aguilar attended, but the suspect, Cristian Parada Quintanilla, was unable to be located for the hearing.

Parada Quintanilla of Elkhart is accused of a burglary that took place Jan. 14. According to a probable cause affidavit, officers responded to a call for an alarm at Smokes++ in the Market Centre plaza, 2024 Elkhart Road, Goshen, and arrived to find the front door glass broken. The officer who responded to the call reported seeing an individual bending over the back side of the sales counter and went out to his vehicle to keep watch and called for backup.

As reported in the affidavit, through a translator, Parada Quintanilla allegedly told officers that he'd broken into the business because he wanted to get deported and that he'd committed a previous burglary at the same location Nov. 19. Officers also said they found a large grey Adidas backpack on the floor and a smaller backpack on the counter both filled with products from the store and a Louisville Slugger baseball bat on the floor near the backpack. Items in the bags totaled $3,4798.11.

During court, a public defender was appointed for Parada Quintanilla and a bond report was requested.

A pretrial trial conference remains scheduled for Feb. 23, with omnibus date March 23, trial status conference July 23, and a trial date for Aug. 7.

LASEAN T. GREEN

LaSean T. Green, 31, of South Bend was charged with a Level 3 felony count of armed robbery after allegedly holding a man up and injuring him after a Facebook Marketplace sale gone wrong.

Police said the two had planned to meet at Cabin Coffee Co., 707 Lincolnway East, Goshen, Feb. 20, 2020. According to the charging affidavit, the victim intended to purchase two phones from Green, who after getting out of the car, demanded the money and pistol-whipped the victim while a second suspect helped him take the money.

Green has a history of arrests dating back to a 2011 burglary charge, however, most charges reported by police are traffic violations. More recently, he's been arrested for unlawful possession of a firearm by a serious violent felon, domestic battery, and resisting law enforcement in St. Joseph County, arrests which, after several bonds and subsequent failures to appear, have left him stuck in the St. Joseph County Jail.

Elkhart County Court records also indicate Green had approval to be released to Elkhart County for a jury trial which had been scheduled for Feb. 20 with the understanding that he'd be returned to St. Joseph County Jail by Feb. 27 to prepare for jury trial in those two cases. Defense attorney Christopher Crawford asked to continue the trial in lieu of access to Green, to Aug. 7, expecting another trial to take place Feb. 20.

Dani Messick is the education and entertainment reporter for The Goshen News. She can be reached at dani.messick@goshennews.com or at 574-538-2065.