'They just wanted to kill him': What witnesses say happened in fatal Sussex home invasion
Family and friends attended a memorial gathering over the weekend to honor Carl Pedone Jr., the 19-year-old shot and killed in a home invasion in Seaford on Oct. 11.
They met at Cherry Beach in Sharptown, Maryland, a place Pedone’s mother said he frequented. The sun was shining, children were playing, and balloons decorated the pavilion, but a somberness permeated.
Tamie Pedone’s smile quickly turned to tears when asked about her son.
“He was so caring. So passionate about life and family,” she said.
After growing up in Federalsburg, Maryland, and in Indiana, where his father lives, Carl Pedone was working for a paving company. He was one of three siblings.
“It doesn’t feel real,” said his sister, Torie Pedone. “I still feel like he’s going to show up, but he’s not.”
He lived near the state line, on West Stein Highway in Seaford, in a home he rented with his aunt, Ruby Gilbert. His girlfriend, 19-year-old Jaylyn Cephas, and the couple's 2-month-old son also lived with him. On Oct. 11, a 19-year-old friend was also present in the home.
Previous reporting:19-year-old fatally shot in Seaford home invasion identified
Just before midnight, Cephas was with Carl Pedone in their bedroom when five masked suspects "burst in." She was holding their son and was shot “accidentally” in her upper right leg as she pulled her legs up to protect the baby, she said. Pedone was shot multiple times in the torso, according to Delaware State Police. The suspects had "demanded an unknown item," police said.
“It still feels like a dream. It happened so fast,” Cephas said.
The 19-year-old friend was in the living room of the home, waiting for Pedone to return to the room so they could continue playing video games. The suspects shoved him in a closet, according to Gilbert.
The aunt was in her bedroom when the incident occurred and said she heard but didn’t see it happen.
“I heard yelling, the shots and I called 911,” Gilbert said.
BACKGROUND: 2 teens shot, 1 fatally, during Seaford-area home invasion that spares infant and 2 others
When she left her room, she found Carl Pedone had crawled into the living room, bleeding, she said.
“I was just trying to put pressure on his wounds like they said,” Gilbert said. “He’s my nephew. I watched him grow up. Those are just not things you want to hear, to see.”
Carl Pedone died a short time later at a hospital.
None of his family or friends were able to provide a motive for the shooting.
“They didn’t take nothing or look around or anything,” Cephas said. “They just wanted to kill him.”
Cephas is hopeful police, who said Wednesday the case is still under investigation, will make an arrest.
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This article originally appeared on Delaware News Journal: Seaford home invasion: What happened the night Carl Pedone was killed
