Portland teen charged in crash that killed 2 other teens and shooting 3 weeks later
A Portland teen accused of running away from a crash in early July that left two other teens dead was arrested this week when police said he fled from a shooting outside a Domino’s Pizza on Northeast 82nd Avenue.[1]
Julius L. Whitehurst, 18, now faces a litany of charges in the two cases, including two counts of first-degree manslaughter, hit-and-run and DUII in the crash and an attempted murder charge in the shooting.
Whitehurst was driving westbound on Southeast Foster Road with five passengers on July 5 when he ran a red light and collided with another vehicle near the northbound Interstate 205[2] onramp at Woodstock Boulevard about 9:40 p.m., according to police and a memo written by prosecutors asking a judge not to set bail.
Whitehurst’s car flipped and sent two passengers flying out, the court document says.
Police on Tuesday identified the two passengers who died at the scene as Onesty L. Jones, 16, and 13-year-old Kamareon Smith. The driver of the other vehicle and a third passenger in Whitehurst’s car were hospitalized. Police didn’t immediately respond when asked the conditions of the injured people.
Police said several people inside the car that caused the crash initially identified a person who remained at the scene as the driver. However, an investigation found that Whitehurt was the driver and had run away before officers arrived, said police spokesman Lt. Nathan Sheppard.
Whitehurst walked into a hospital with his older sister hours later, but denied being involved in a crash, court papers allege. Cannabis was detected in his blood, as well as a .26% alcohol level, according to the memo.
More than two weeks later, police were patrolling about 2:30 a.m. Monday near one of Portland’s most deadly blocks at Northeast 82nd Avenue and Fremont Street when they heard eight to 12 shots emanating from a white Nissan SUV, according to the memo.
Surveillance footage showed Whitehurst leaning out of the SUV and firing shots at a pickup, with at least two bullets striking the glass storefront of a nearby Domino’s, the memo says. No one appeared to be hurt, police said.
Officers gave chase, estimating that the SUV was traveling about 50 to 75 mph before it crashed on East Burnside Street near Northeast 41st Avenue and three people ran from the car, according to the court document.
Police said they eventually found the three hiding in a neighborhood backyard and recovered an AR-15 rifle and ammunition linked to the shooting.
Whitehurst and Kendrick Anderson, 15, were both charged with attempted murder, records show, while a third juvenile was released to their family and does not appear to have been charged.
Whitehurst is set to be arraigned in the cases Aug. 2. He is being held at the downtown Portland jail.
— Zane Sparling; [email protected]; 503-319-7083; @pdxzane[3][4]
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References
- ^ he fled from a shooting outside a Domino’s Pizza on Northeast 82nd Avenue. (www.oregonlive.com)
- ^ when he ran a red light and collided with another vehicle near the northbound Interstate 205 (www.oregonlive.com)
- ^ [email protected] (www.oregonlive.com)
- ^ @pdxzane (twitter.com)
- ^ OregonLive.com/subscribe (www.oregonlive.com)