DETROIT – A Detroit man who carjacked a woman in front of her children at their home and also failed to carjack a CPL holder at a gas station has been sentenced to nearly 20 years in prison after police found him hiding in a bush.
Woman carjacked in front of children
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Deloneo Breham, 32, of Detroit, is accused of carjacking a woman Aug. 31, 2020, at her home.
Officials said the woman arrived at her home with her minor children to find Breham already inside with a gun.
Breham pointed the gun at the woman and demanded her keys, police said. When she hesitated, he said, “I don’t want to do this in front of your kids,” according to authorities.
The woman gave Breham her keys, and he left the house, officials said.
Her car was recovered the following day from the Suez Motel on 8 Mile Road.
Attempted carjacking at gas station
Breham is also accused of targeting a man on Feb. 22, 2021, at a Detroit gas station.
The incident happened in the early morning hours while a man was pumping gas into his truck along Gratiot Avenue, according to authorities.
Breham pulled out a handgun and told the man to give him the keys to the truck, police said. The man refused, and Breham shot him in the leg, according to officials.
While Breham was trying to open the driver’s door, the victim, who had a concealed pistol license, pulled out his firearm and shot Breham, police said.
Breham fled the scene on foot and was found seven minutes later hiding in a nearby bush, officials said.
“Carjackers create an unacceptable risk of physical harm or death and erode the overall sense of safety and security in our community,” United States Attorney Dawn Ison said. “We are committed to bringing the full weight of the justice system to bear on individuals who are making our neighborhoods unsafe and who prey upon our citizens.”
Sentencing
Breham was charged with carjacking and discharge of a firearm during a crime of violence. He has been in custody since his February 2021 arrest.
He was sentenced Tuesday (May 3) to 235 months (19 years and seven months) in federal prison, followed by six years of supervised release.
“People who were just living their lives -- doing ordinary things each of us has done thousands of times -- were terrorized because this defendant wanted a car,” said James Tarasco, special agent in charge of the FBI’s Detroit division. “No one should have to live in fear of something like that. Breham’s sentence should be a warning to anyone who commits a carjacking that the FBI and our law enforcement partners will find you and we will hold you accountable.”
The case was investigated by special agents of the FBI and was prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorneys Barbara Lanning and Diane Princ.