DETROIT (WWJ) – A 23-year-old Detroit man has been charged with fatally shooting a liquor store clerk in January and robbing a gas station back in December.
Dvante Howard was arraigned in 36th District Court Thursday in both cases, facing one count of felony murder, three total counts of armed robbery, two counts of assault with intent to murder, and six counts of felony firearm.
Howard allegedly entered Andy’s Market in the 20440 block of James Couzens Freeway – near 8 Mile Road – on Jan. 17 and shot 64-year-old clerk Benham Rasho of Detroit, as he opened the door to the register area.
Howard then robbed the store, before fleeing the scene, the Wayne County Prosecutor’s Office says.
Rasho was found with multiple gunshot wounds and was pronounced dead at the scene.
Howard is facing one count of felony murder, two counts of armed robbery, one count of assault with intent to murder and four counts of felony firearm for the incident at Andy’s Market.
In a separate incident, the prosecutor’s office says Howard robbed a gas station – near Andy’s Market, a few blocks away on James Couzens – around 6:40 a.m. on New Year’s Eve.
The WCPO says Howard pulled out a gun, robbed and assaulted the gas station clerk and then fled the scene.
He’s facing one count of armed robbery causing serious injury, one count of assault with intent to do great bodily harm and two counts of felony firearm for the gas station incident.
Howard was remanded to jail in the homicide case and received a $500,000 cash bond in the separate robbery case and ordered to have no contact with the complaining witnesses.
He is set to appear in court on Feb. 10 for probable cause hearings in both cases.
Back on Monday, police announced an arrest had been made in the liquor store shooting case and also said the same suspect was wanted for a robbery at a beauty store on the same day. The prosecutor’s office did not mention any charges for that case.
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