The first day of a trial for a Fort Wayne man accused of involvement in the fatal shooting of a woman included testimony from a key witness.
Demaury Haywood, 30, is accused of having a role in the Feb. 19 shooting that killed 39-year-old Diasha Fitts of Fort Wayne.
Fitts was shot while in the passenger seat of a car at the intersection of Winchester Road and Airport Expressway.
Haywood is charged with acting in concert with 29-year-old Devonte Travier in the fatal shooting. Travier is scheduled to go to trial in March.
Delores Fitts, the victim°®¶¹app™s mother, was the first to take the stand in the trial. She identified her daughter with a photo presented by prosecutors.
Looking at the photo of her daughter, nicknamed Twinkle, Delores Fitts got emotional.
°®¶¹appœThat°®¶¹app™s my beautiful, beautiful baby,°®¶¹app she said, looking at the photo.
The car that Fitts was shot in was driven by Brandon Golden, who appeared to be the intended target of the shooting, according to a probable cause affidavit written by Fort Wayne Police Detective Liza Anglin.
A man who testified Tuesday said he was keeping tabs on Golden for Haywood before the shooting.
The man, who identified himself as Haywood°®¶¹app™s friend, said he texted Haywood information about Golden in the days before and the day of the shooting.
Robert Scremin, Haywood°®¶¹app™s attorney, drew attention to the defendant°®¶¹app™s friend being told he could be charged with conspiracy to commit murder when he was questioned by police.
°®¶¹appœYou didn°®¶¹app™t want to give information about this case, did you,°®¶¹app Scremin asked.
°®¶¹appœNot at first,°®¶¹app the man replied.
The man eventually gave the police the defendant°®¶¹app™s name by writing it down.
Chief Counsel Tesa Helge of the Allen County prosecutor°®¶¹app™s office then pressed the witness about his concerns about speaking to police, specifically on the idea of snitching.
°®¶¹appœI felt real bad about giving him up,°®¶¹app the man said.
Golden is expected to testify during the trial, which is set to end Friday.
