Man accused in deadly robbery at Columbus AutoZone rejects plea deal
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DELAWARE, Ohio (WCMH) – One of three suspects charged in a fatal August 2023 robbery at a central Ohio AutoZone store rejected a plea offer in court.
According to the Delaware County Prosecutor’s office, Anthony Blakely, 27, was expected to agree to terms on a plea arrangement, but changed his mind Friday in court.
The plea agreement, according to the prosecution, entailed Blakely pleading guilty to three of five charges against him, including murder, felonious assault and engaging in a pattern of corrupt activity. He originally agreed to testify against two co-defendants and receive a joint recommendation prison sentence of 23 years to life.
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The case will now be scheduled for a new jury trial date, which has yet to be determined.
Blakely is facing charges of aggravated murder, two counts of aggravated robbery, felonious assault and engaging in a pattern of corrupt activity. The charges stem from a fatal shooting that took place at the AutoZone store on Sancus Boulevard near Polaris Fashion Place on Aug. 24, 2023, at 5:11 p.m.
The victim, 43-year-old customer Alejandro Fajardo-Torres, was pronounced dead after it was reported that he attempted to intervene in an armed robbery. The shooting occurred inside the store, where police said a second victim was suffering from a blunt-force trauma injury. Around the same time, Fajardo-Torres tried to stop the robbery and was shot by one of the suspects.
Blakely and two alleged accomplices, Zackeyis Davis and Darius Wynn, were part of a suspected “enterprise”, according to court documents, in which they allegedly committed multiple robberies between May 14, 2023, and September 16, 2023.
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Fajardo-Torres was pronounced dead at the scene. A Delaware County grand jury indicted all three on Dec. 21 for the following charges:
Zackeyis Davis – Murder, aggravated murder, attempted murder, aggravated robbery (2), felonious assault, engaging in a pattern of corrupt activity.
Darius Wynn – Murder, felonious assault, aggravated robbery (2), engaging in a pattern of corrupt activity.
Blakely – Murder, aggravated murder, felonious assault, aggravated robbery, engaging in a pattern of corrupt activity.
Blakely received a $5 million bond on Jan. 16, as did Wynn on Jan. 10, while Davis received a $10 million bond for the charges he was indicted on.
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