OAKLAND COUNTY, Mich. – The man accused of shooting a woman in front of her son and stealing her car at an Orion Township shopping plaza was arraigned in court on Friday.
Mauriel Dashawn Hearn, 25, of Ann Arbor, was charged with carjacking, assault with intent to murder, fleeing a police officer, resisting a police officer, carrying a concealed weapon and three counts of felony firearm.
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The shooting happened on May 19 outside Baldwin Commons Plaza near Baldwin and Brown roads.
According to the Oakland County Sheriff’s Office, Hearn appeared to have been waiting in the parking lot before targeting the woman, who was with her young son.
The Oakland County Prosecutor’s Office said Hearn confronted the woman in the parking lot and demanded her car keys. He then allegedly shot the woman in front of her son.
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Hearn allegedly took her purse and drove away in her car.
The woman was taken to a local hospital with a gunshot wound to her hip. According to officials, the bullet came dangerously close to a major artery.
Authorities said they immediately issued a broadcast alert for the stolen vehicle and used the department’s FLOCK camera system to track its movements northbound from the scene.
While Hearn was leading a police chase, he was going over 100 mph before hitting a guardrail in Groveland Township. He then allegedly jumped out of the car and tried to run away. He was eventually arrested.
“The victims, a mother and her young child, should never have been placed in this dangerous situation because I believe this defendant should be behind bars for previous crimes,” said Oakland County Prosecutor Karen McDonald. “My priority is always public safety. As prosecutors, we have a responsibility to protect the public from violent individuals like the defendant in this case. If we lose sight of that, bad things can happen to good people. I look forward to working with law enforcement to hold this defendant accountable and protect our communities.”
Oakland County Sheriff Michael Bouchard said Hearn has a violent criminal history and has been uncooperative with investigators since his arrest.
“He’s currently on probation for hog-tying a woman, duct taping her and suffocating her with a plastic bag over her head, and he’s back out on the street saying no harm, no foul. Is that how the justice system works for our victims?” Bouchard said on Wednesday.
Hearn was arraigned in court on Friday, May 22.
During his arraignment, Hearn’s defense attorney entered a not-guilty plea on his behalf, and his bond was denied.
His attorney requested to file a competency motion, but the court ruled that the motion could be filed in the next court hearing.
He is scheduled to return to court on June 2 for a probable cause conference and on June 9 for a preliminary examination.
You can watch the full arraignment in the video below: