17-year-old charged in Gary homicide
by Lori Caldwell lcaldwell@post-trib | 648-3258 July 20, 2012 3:53PM
DCartia Le Braun Hoskins. | Provided Photo~Sun-Times Media
Updated: July 20, 2012 9:24PM
GARY — Not long after Omari Barnes was found shot to death at his Tarrytown home, his alleged killer posted a Tweet about a “murder for a couple stripes.”
One week later, Dcartia Le Braun Hoskins, 17, 7366 Bigger St., Merrillville, was charged Friday with murder, escape and resisting law enforcement.
Hoskins, who apparently sold marijuana supplied by Barnes, arranged to meet Barnes at his Tarrytown home July 13 to buy more pot. Although police found a large amount of money at the scene, investigators believe the killer stole pot from the house.
Later on July 13, Hoskins bragged on Twitter that he “had the whole pack sold before the pack landed.”
Investigators obtained copies of Hoskins’, aka “Cashed Out,” Tweets. Earning stripes means he gained “street credibility” by committing the homicide, sources said.
Police arrested him Wednesday afternoon at his Merrillville home, where police recovered “large amounts of marijuana, Ecstasy and U.S. currency,” the probable cause affidavit states. Detectives also found bullets, two handguns and a white T-shirt with a suspicious stain.
Hoskins slipped out of flex-cuffs and ran from arresting officers. Sgt. Larry Robertson, a marathon runner, apprehended Hoskins in the 8100 block of Wallace Street.
Witnesses told Robertson a dark blue car, driven by a woman, was stopped outside Barnes’ house when he and a woman returned home about 11:30 a.m. Barnes went inside with a man who had arrived in the blue car. The man left with blood on his white T-shirt and a package under his arm, the probable cause affidavit states.
That man was identified as Hoskins by witnesses who viewed a photographic lineup.
The same blue car was at Hoskins’ home when detectives served a search warrant. It was being driven by a woman and was towed to the Lake County crime lab to be processed for evidence.
