DETROIT (WWJ) - A Westland man facing murder charges for the slaying of a Grand Blanc teen last month had a bench warrant for his arrest after he skipped out on court for a separate crime, court records show.
Details surrounding the shooting death of Jacob Hills, 18, continue to emerge after Wayne County Prosecutor Kym Worthy announced multiple charges against Avion Sanders, 23, of Westland on Thursday.
The charges include first-degree murder, felony murder, larceny, felon in possession and felony firearm -- Sanders is expected to be arraigned Friday, Worthy said.
According to her office, Dearborn police officers were dispatched blue Moon Hookah Lounge in Dearborn Heights around 3:10 p.m. on July 24 for a welfare check on the Grand Blanc teen.
Hills' mother told The Detroit News that her son had the Life360 app on his phone which enabled her to track his device down. She called police when she and his father did not hear from Hills for several hours and found his phone in his unlocked car in the parking lot.
Police were only able to locate Hills' car during their investigation.
On July 25 shortly after 1:00 a.m., Detroit police were called to a home in the 22330 block of West Warren Ave. Officers found Hills unresponsive with multiple gunshot wounds in the basement.
He was pronounced dead at the scene.
Worthy's office alleges that Sanders and Hills were together the night of July 24 at a party in Detroit.
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Sometime before the party, Hills had purchased an AR-15 from ACME Shooting Goods in Oxford. Hills' mother said to The Detroit News that he bought the weapon in preparation for boot camp with the Army National Guard.
The prosecutor's office allege Hills brought the rifle with him to the party, which he and Sanders left at some point and went to the home on West Warren.
Worthy said the two men went into the basement of the home, but only Sanders emerged.
"It is alleged that Defendant Sanders killed the victim, stole his rifle, and abandoned the victim’s car at the Dearborn Heights hookah bar and fled," Worthy said.
He was arrested by Detroit police on August 9.
“We try to never rush to judgment on cases because the facts are sometimes not as they initially appear or as reported. After thoroughly reviewing the DPD investigation and the timeline of events, we believe that we can prove this case beyond a reasonable doubt in court,” said Worthy.
This is not Sanders' first run-in with the law: Wayne County Circuit Court records shows he has a history of violence and skipping out on hearings.
Records obtained by The Detroit News show Worthy's office previously charged Sanders with several crimes after he opened fired on his girlfriend in October of 2020 and barricaded himself with their young daughter at an apartment complex in Taylor.
Negotiators and SWAT officers were at the scene for hours before he was taken into custody.
Sanders' bond was initially set at $200,000, but as court proceedings progressed, his bond changed, records from the Wayne County Circuit Court showed.
When Sanders was found guilty in September of 2021, it was down to 10% of $50,000.
Sanders was convicted of assaulting, resisting, and obstructing police while the other charges for domestic violence and child abuse were dismissed.
The court records show a bench warrant was issued for Sanders when he failed to show for sentencing back in February.
He is now facing life in prison with no possibility of parole if found guilty in Hills' murder.
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