Local mentorship program working to combat consequences of crime
On Tuesday an 18-year-old faced a judge for his involvement in a deadly shooting during a home invasion.
Shawn Patrick Spencer III was charged with Homicide Murder While Engaged in Burglary and Armed Burglary of a Dwelling.
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It happened at the Jernigan Gardens Apartments in late January.
Orlando police told us they found another 18-year-old dead after a burglary.
“Someone lost their life, someone else also lost their life to the system,” said Marcus Brown, the founder of iHope Mentoring Inc.
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It’s just the latest of several shootings to take place at that complex which has been plagued by crime for years. Most of those crimes have involved teens and young adults.
Despite the crime many have had to deal with in that area, there are several people in the community working to change that.
“This is home for me,” said Brown.
Marcus Brown grew up in Orlando and said when he was young he was part of the problem– selling drugs and committing crimes.
Now, he wants to be part of the solution. which is why 6 years ago he started iHope.
“I just wanted to create a program for other young men that I knew would need someone that would actually listen. You know, be a guiding light for them,” said Brown.
A guiding light, he hopes, will lead them away from a life of crime.
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Brown hosts the iHope program at the Northwest Community Center, which is less than half a mile from Jernigan Gardens.
He’s hoping by putting in the work now, countless lives will be saved in the future.
“These are our future leaders,” Brown said. “I see a lot of hope. They are not a lost cause. So I will continue to sow into them as much as possible.”
As for Spencer has a pretrial detention hearing scheduled for Feb. 27th. He is currently being held without bond.
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