WESTLAND (WWJ) - A Westland man has been charged with murder in the shooting death of his girlfriend, which led to an eight-hour stand off with police.
Wayne County Prosecutor Kym Worthy Thursday announced the changes against Cary Anthony Taylor, 41, after police allege he shot his girlfriend, 41-year-old Tabitha Lee Cronwell, twice in the head as she tired to leave a home in Old Orchard Mobile Home Park early Wednesday morning.
Witnesses told WWJ's Charlie Langton on Wednesday that Cronwell and Taylor were at the home when an argument between them broke out.
Cronwell attempted to leave in a Jeep Cherokee when Taylor allegedly retrieved a handgun and fired into the vehicle, striking his girlfriend and fatally wounding her.
Westland police officers responded to the scene around 12:06 p.m. in the 35270 block of Glenwood near the Westland-Wayne border and found Cronwell in the Jeep with two gunshot wounds to her head -- she as pronounced dead at the scene, Worthy said in a press release.
Related
Police remained on the active around the home for over eight hours as Taylor allegedly barricaded himself inside.
Shortly before 8 a.m., Taylor surrendered to the Western Wayne SWAT Team and was taken into custody without incident.
The victim's family members expressed their shock over the alleged murder to Langton on Wednesday.
"I don't know (what happened), except for my daughter was shot and killed, my baby girl, last night," the victim's mother," Diane Smith said. "Police said it was a domestic violence dispute. It was a man, drug dealer, felon, with a gun... shouldn't have had a gun."
Cronwell's sister, Rachael Nickens, said Cronwell and her boyfriend were at a birthday party when they got into an argument. "...She was leaving to avoid the argument, and he chased her down like a dog and shot at her and killed her," Nickens told Langton.
Taylor has been charged with one count of Premeditated First-Degree Murder, and one count of Felony Firearm. He was remanded to jail without bond during an arraignment in 18th District Court on Thursday, and will be back in court for a preliminary exam scheduled for July 7.
Related
