Man charged with reckless homicide in fatal shooting outside his home
INDIANAPOLIS (WISH) — An Indianapolis man is facing a reckless homicide charge in connection to a shooting death in January outside his home near 34th and Illinois Streets, court documents show.
Alfred Dewayne “Wayne” Wombles, 44, died in the shooting.
Indianapolis Metropolitan Police Department officers found Wombles shot around 6:20 a.m. Jan. 18 in the 3300 block of Kenwood Avenue.
Wombles was taken to a hospital in critical condition but did not survive.
Detectives identified and detained Ladrelle Bryant, 41, as a person of interest in the case, but after a discussion with the Marion County Prosecutor’s office, he was released.
Bryant, who’d called 911 to bring police to the scene, faces the potential criminal charge, court documents show.
Bryant had told police shortly after the shooting that his garage had been burglarized twice in December. Bryant told police that, while sitting in his minivan after dropping off his child at the school bus stop, he saw an unknown male, Wombles, run into Bryant’s recently opened garage. Bryant thought Wombles appeared to be holding a gun or knife, court documents say.
Still inside the minivan, Bryant said, he had his 9mm Smith & Wesson sitting in his lap. Bryant told police he fired one shot at Wombles.
IMPD secured surveillance video that captured the scene. The video showed Wombles moved from an alley, then in front of the minivan, and stepped near the threshold of the garage but didn’t go inside. When Wombles turned toward the minivan he was shot and fell to the ground.
Medics at the scene found a screwdriver in Wombles’ pocket, an IMPD bodycam showed. Court documents did not say that Wombles was carrying a weapon.
Homicide detectives continued working with the prosecutor’s office throughout the investigation and issued a warrant for Bryant’s arrest. Bryant turned himself in at the Community Justice Center and was arrested by Marion County deputies.
The reckless homicide charge was filed May 13. Bryant was released from jail Tuesday after paying a bond of at least $1,450 cash. His initial court hearing was set for Thursday in Marion Superior Court 28.
Anyone with information on the incident is asked to contact IMPD Detective Ronald Sayles at 317-327-3475 or email him at ronald.sayles@indy.gov.
