Well known Majestic Alley street figure Bart Lucas is recovering at the hospital after his girlfriend, Tanice Mejia allegedly blasted him in the groin, reportedly with his own gun. Based on our information, their relationship was a ticking time bomb and it seems this morning, that bomb exploded. Courtney Weatherburne has more.
Courtney Weatherburne reporting
This morning the police were clearing and digging through this overgrown yard looking for a gun.
But all police found were a pair of flip flops thrown on the lawn.
And 3 expended shells inside this downstairs home at the corner of Vernon Street and Magazine Road. Our information is that
32 year old Tanice Mejia got into a fight with her boyfriend Bart Lucas and she shot Lucas in his groin with his own gun. It is not clear exactly what happened but residents say they heard the couple arguing and then the 3 gunshots rang out. One neighbor says she heard Mejia shout "I told you to leave me alone". After that, residents say they saw Lucas emerge from the house with a torn white shirt and walk to the back of the house where he allegedly stashed the gun. Then he limped down Vernon Street where a police mobile picked him up and rushed him to the hospital. Mejia fled the scene. According to residents, Mejia and Lucas have been in a toxic relationship for about 3 years. Mejia endured constant abuse.
Voice of: Neighbor
"I know for a fact that he used to be hitting on her, beat her every time, a lot of the time I was the one who had to call the police who had to come and take him from her house."
"Sometimes it is day and night, sometimes he beats her for hours."
And residents believe Mejia just had enough and defended herself.
Voice of: Neighbor
"She been fed up, she told me she is tired of him but she is afraid of him because he is the kind who comes around and beats her and she is afraid for her life, Like I told her, you have to be careful because one day you will get hurt, one day you will end up cripple one day you might dead."
Well, fortunately no one is dead, Lucas is at the hospital in a stable condition and police are questioning Mejia who turned herself in later this morning - but now the only worry for Mejia is the frightening prospect of jail time and how it will affect her 14 year old daughter.
As you heard, Mejia turned herself in later this morning. Residents say the couple fought so much that it became the norm in the neighborhood. They would fight and then reunite, and that became a pattern of behaviour. We will keep following this case to see what charges if any are brought.
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