MURDER USA: Jacovi Devaughn Johnson must have had his gun stuck in his swimming suit before murdering James Diggs and wounding two people at a pool party

MURDER USA: Jacovi Devaughn Johnson must have had his gun stuck in his swimming suit before murdering James Diggs and wounding two people at a pool party

GLEN BURNIE, MD. – The hoodlum culture of Maryland is the gift that keeps on giving to funeral homes and undertakers and assists surgeons at trauma units to keep their skills finely honed.  The EMT’s, medics and police also are assured of job security as the criminal class continues to build their crime slime resumes through robbery, theft, carjacking, drug dealing, and murder.

Anne Arundel County Police report that on Friday, July 5, 2019, at approximately 11:15 p.m., Eastern District Patrol Officers responded to the 500 block of Everett Road, Glen Burnie Maryland for a shot fired call.

Upon arrival, officers located one individual who had been shot. The adult male was transported by the fire department to the University of Maryland Shock Trauma Hospital. The shooting victim was identified as James Antonio Diggs 4th, a twenty-nine-year-old male from 4313 Chatham Road, in Gwynn Oak, Maryland, who later succumbed to his injuries.

Homicide detectives along with the Evidence Collection Unit responded to the scene. While on scene detectives learned two other shooting victims had responded to area hospitals with non-life-threatening injuries. The two victims were identified as a twenty-one-year-old female and a twenty-seven-year-old male. Homicide detectives interviewed several witnesses and multiple pieces of evidence were recovered from the scene. Investigation revealed the victims were attending a pool party when an armed individual opened fire striking the victims.

A short time after the initial response on July 5th, a witness was located who observed a vehicle quickly come into the area and stop near the intersection of Pamela Road and Old Stage Road, Glen Burnie, Maryland. The witness observed two males exit the vehicle with one male secreting an item in the bushes. The witness went to check on the secreted item and discovered a handgun. This area was a short distance from the shooting scene and the weapon is consistent with the evidence recovered from the crime scene.

Police were called and responded to the scene. The person who secreted the firearm was located and positively identified as Dion Isom Sanders, a twenty-year-old male from the 7800 block of Tall Pines Court.

 Dion Sanders was charged with wear/carry/transport a handgun, did knowingly possess a regulated firearm being a person under the age of thirty years at the time of possession has been adjudicated as delinquent by a juvenile court for an act that would be a disqualifying crime if committed by an adult and did being under twenty one years of age possess a regulated firearm.

Police say that they have a witness who spotted Sanders hiding the gun after the murder. Sanders was initially held without bond but has since been released.

Homicide detectives executed several search warrants and combed through digital evidence and all the information obtained from witnesses. In doing so detectives were able to identify the suspect responsible for the shooting death of James Diggs 4th.

 The shooter was identified as Jacovi Devaughn Johnson, a twenty-one-year-old male from 321 Oak Manor Drive, Glen Burnie, Maryland. On Sunday, July 7, 2019, working in conjunction with the State’s Attorney’s Office, Homicide detectives obtained an arrest warrant for Jacovi Johnson. The suspect was charged with First- and Second-Degree Murder, three counts each of First- and Second-Degree Assault along with firearm-related charges.

The Anne Arundel County Police Fugitive Apprehension Team learned Jacovi Johnson was on the Eastern Shore of Maryland. Working with the Ocean City Police Department and the Maryland State Police Apprehension Team, Jacovi Johnson was taken into custody without incident at approximately 8:30 p.m. on Monday, July 8, 2019.

Johnson was apprehended during a traffic stop initiated by the Ocean City Police Department in the area of Baltimore Avenue and 30th Street, Ocean City, Maryland. The suspect, Jacovi Johnson, is currently incarcerated at the Anne Arundel County Jail.

Anne Arundel Police noted in a press release that: “the citizens working together with law enforcement were able to bring a quick and successful resolution to a very violent crime. Even with arrests being made police say that this is a very active and ongoing investigation.”

The Anne Arundel County Police are urging anyone with information to come forward by calling the Homicide Unit at 410-222-4731. If people with information wish to remain anonymous, they can also contact the Anne Arundel County Police Tip Line 410-222-4700 or Metro Crime Stoppers.

Johnson entered a guilty plea to second-degree assault on Feb. 12, 2019, in Anne Arundel District Court in a plea deal with States Attorney Wes Adams. THE DEAL: Johnson was sentenced to two years in prison with all but 36 days suspended. Two other charges were put on the Stet Docket as part of the deal. A bench warrant was issued for his arrest on Jan. 4, 2019 and three days later he landed in jail until his release on Feb. 12, 2019.

Sanders was given a verdict of Probation Before Judgement to a charge of possession of a firearm by a person under the age of twenty-one on Jan. 15, 2019 and given 37 days in jail. Three other firearm charges were dropped as part of the plea deal with Baltimore County States Attorney.

Arrested:

1) Jacovi Devaughn Johnson

DOB: 3-31-1998

321 Oak Manor Drive

Glen Burnie, MD 21060

Charges:

• Murder – 1st Degree
• Murder – 2nd Degree
• Assault – 1st Degree (3 cts)
• Assault – 2nd Degree (3 cts)
• Firearm Use/Fel-Viol Crime
• Handgun on Person
• Handgun in Vehicle
• Loaded Handgun on Person
• Reckless Endangerment

2) Dion Isom Sanders

DOB: 10-20-1998

7885 Tall Pines Court, Unit F

Glen Burnie, MD 21061

Charges:

• Handgun on Person
• Reg Firearm: Illegal Possession
• Possession of Firearm Minor