DECATUR — An armed Decatur mom with a baby on her hip was shot and wounded as she defended her family by opening fire on home invaders, driving them off and wounding one of them, police report.
The 22-year-old woman suffered a gunshot wound to her left forearm and another gunshot wound to her right hip, according to a sworn affidavit from the Decatur Police Department.
“This is the hip where (she) was holding her infant daughter,” said Detective James Knierim, who signed the affidavit. He said the children, a 5-month-old baby and a 2-year-old infant, both survived the ordeal unscathed while their home erupted in a blaze of gunfire around them.
Police arrived just after 4 a.m. Monday to find the woman’s house in the 700 block of South Stone Street splattered in blood and riddled with more than 30 bullet holes.
In a statement, Lt. Scott Rosenbery, who heads the police department’s Criminal Investigations Division said, three home invaders, each of them armed, had forced their way into the home with the intention of burglarizing it.
They had been confronted by the mom, who warned them she was armed and told them to get out.
“When she acknowledged her presence, the intruders fired upon her,” Rosenbery said.
Stone
In his affidavit, Knierim said the mom had been near her bedroom when the gunfire started. “It should be noted that outside (her house) someone had fired five to six times through the living room window towards (the mom’s) bedroom, striking the TV on the wall of the bedroom and the wall itself,” he said.
By 6:35 a.m. detective work had located the wounded home invader at an address in the 1000 block of East North Street. He was identified as Deonte A. Stone, 24, who sustained a non life-threatening wound to his lower back.
Police also later arrested Colton L. Clark, 25, and a 16-year-old male. They were all booked on charges of attempted murder, aggravated battery involving the discharge of firearms and home invasion involving the discharge of guns.
They were arraigned Thursday in Macon County Circuit Court and denied pretrial release.
Clark
Stone is quoted in the affidavit as saying he was recruited to carry out the crime by the 16-year-old who supplied him with a revolver. Stone said he supplied a 9mm semi-automatic handgun which he gave to Clark who also agreed to take part in the crime.
“Deonte advised he was told that the owner of the house is a drug dealer and has a lot of cannabis in the home,” Knierim said in the affidavit.
“The plan was to sell the cannabis and split the proceeds.”
Stone is quoted as saying the juvenile, who was arrested at his own house in possession of a Sony PlayStation that was stolen in the home invasion, was the only one who had opened fire at the victim.
But Knierim clearly had his doubts about that as the juvenile was said to be armed with a semi-automatic handgun that ejects bullet casings when it is fired.
“There were no spent bullet casings located outside the (living room) window area, which leads to the belief that the gun used was possibly a revolver, which is what Deonte was armed with,” he added.
In todays world, its high tech versus high crime. Police work like dusting for prints is now supplemented with point and click.
Where are America's safest suburbs?
Where are America's safest suburbs?
Safety is a key factor when choosing a neighborhood to buy a home. It can increase demand and drive up property values. Homebuyers can measure how safe a community is by comparing the reported rates of violent crime, property crime, motor vehicle deaths, drug overdose deaths and excessive drinking, among other common indicators, in different areas.
With this in mind, SmartAsset ranked 360 suburbs of major U.S. cities from most to least safe. To help measure the value for the local cost of living, housing affordability in the safest neighborhoods was also considered.
Key Findings
- These Utah and Maryland suburbs are the safest in America. Lehi, UT ranks first with the lowest rate of excessive drinking studywide (9.0%), and particularly low rates of violent and property crimes. On the opposite end of the Salt Lake City area, Layton, UT ranks third-safest suburb overall. In Maryland, Bethesda and Rockville earned the second and fourth place.
- Spring, TX has the lowest rate of property crimes. Located in Harris County, Spring sees only five property crimes reported for every 10,000 residents. After Spring, the Chicago suburbs of Orland Park, Northbrook, and Elmhurst, IL have the lowest property crime rates per capita.
- These Boston suburbs have the lowest rate of car accident deaths. Lexington, Somerville and Chelsea, MA – located in Middlesex (3.75 deaths per 100,000 residents) and Suffolk (4.24) Counties – have the three lowest rates of death by car accident study wide.
- Of the top 35 safest, Indianapolis suburbs are most affordable. Based on annual housing payments relative to local incomes, Carmel and Fishers, IN allow the most breathing room. In Carmel, housing accounts for 15.0% of annual incomes, compared to 15.6% in Fishers.
Top 20 Safest Suburbs
Suburbs are ranked by five safety metrics including crime rates, drug and drinking activity and car accident deaths.
- Lehi, UT
- Violent crime per capita: 0.00083
- Property crime per capita: 0.00715
- Motor vehicle crash deaths per 100,000 residents: 5.75
- Drug overdose deaths per 100,000 residents: 13.03
- Percent of adults participating in excessive drinking: 9.04
- Median monthly housing cost: $1,804
- Median household income: $117,243
- Percent of annual income going to housing: 18.5%
- Bethesda, MD
- Violent crime per capita: 0.00199
- Property crime per capita: 0.02358
- Motor vehicle crash deaths per 100,000 residents: 5.37
- Drug overdose deaths per 100,000 residents: 14.28
- Percent of adults participating in excessive drinking: 12.89
- Median monthly housing cost: $2,742
- Median household income: $185,546
- Percent of annual income going to housing: 17.7%
- Layton, UT
- Violent crime per capita: 0.01329
- Property crime per capita: 0.02997
- Motor vehicle crash deaths per 100,000 residents: 6.34
- Drug overdose deaths per 100,000 residents: 15.16
- Percent of adults participating in excessive drinking: 11.49
- Median monthly housing cost: $1,428
- Median household income: $93,453
- Percent of annual income going to housing: 18.3%
- Rockville, MD
- Violent crime per capita: 0.00338
- Property crime per capita: 0.02931
- Motor vehicle crash deaths per 100,000 residents: 5.37
- Drug overdose deaths per 100,000 residents: 14.28
- Percent of adults participating in excessive drinking: 12.89
- Median monthly housing cost: $2,205
- Median household income: $122,470
- Percent of annual income going to housing: 21.6%
- Great Falls, VA
- Violent crime per capita: 0.00047
- Property crime per capita: 0.01029
- Motor vehicle crash deaths per 100,000 residents: 4.32
- Drug overdose deaths per 100,000 residents: 9.98
- Percent of adults participating in excessive drinking: 16.04
- Median monthly housing cost: $3,952
- Median household income: $250,000
- Percent of annual income going to housing: 19.0%
- Dacula, GA
- Violent crime per capita: 0.00116
- Property crime per capita: 0.00623
- Motor vehicle crash deaths per 100,000 residents: 9.10
- Drug overdose deaths per 100,000 residents: 12.94
- Percent of adults participating in excessive drinking: 14.36
- Median monthly housing cost: $1,256
- Median household income: $81,322
- Percent of annual income going to housing: 18.5%
- Buford, GA
- Violent crime per capita: 0.00337
- Property crime per capita: 0.01034
- Motor vehicle crash deaths per 100,000 residents: 9.10
- Drug overdose deaths per 100,000 residents: 12.94
- Percent of adults participating in excessive drinking: 14.36
- Median monthly housing cost: $1,134
- Median household income: $68,165
- Percent of annual income going to housing: 20.0%
- Elmhurst, IL
- Violent crime per capita: 0.00057
- Property crime per capita: 0.00234
- Motor vehicle crash deaths per 100,000 residents: 4.81
- Drug overdose deaths per 100,000 residents: 15.69
- Percent of adults participating in excessive drinking: 16.46
- Median monthly housing cost: $2,205
- Median household income: $143,492
- Percent of annual income going to housing: 18.4%
- Oak Brook, IL
- Violent crime per capita: 0.00136
- Property crime per capita: 0.00694
- Motor vehicle crash deaths per 100,000 residents: 4.81
- Drug overdose deaths per 100,000 residents: 15.69
- Percent of adults participating in excessive drinking: 16.46
- Median monthly housing cost: $2,549
- Median household income: $158,663
- Percent of annual income going to housing: 19.3%
- Edgewater, NJ
- Violent crime per capita: 0.00118
- Property crime per capita: 0.01480
- Motor vehicle crash deaths per 100,000 residents: 4.36
- Drug overdose deaths per 100,000 residents: 19.00
- Percent of adults participating in excessive drinking: 16.10
- Median monthly housing cost: $2,730
- Median household income: $136,806
- Percent of annual income going to housing: 23.9%
- Palo Alto, CA
- Violent crime per capita: 0.00539
- Property crime per capita: 0.03772
- Motor vehicle crash deaths per 100,000 residents: 6.92
- Drug overdose deaths per 100,000 residents: 14.67
- Percent of adults participating in excessive drinking: 14.92
- Median monthly housing cost: $3,278
- Median household income: $214,118
- Percent of annual income going to housing: 18.4%
- Noblesville, IN
- Violent crime per capita: 0.00075
- Property crime per capita: 0.00683
- Motor vehicle crash deaths per 100,000 residents: 5.18
- Drug overdose deaths per 100,000 residents: 12.71
- Percent of adults participating in excessive drinking: 17.41
- Median monthly housing cost: $1,449
- Median household income: $99,458
- Percent of annual income going to housing: 17.5%
- Naperville, IL
- Violent crime per capita: 0.00794
- Property crime per capita: 0.01643
- Motor vehicle crash deaths per 100,000 residents: 4.81
- Drug overdose deaths per 100,000 residents: 15.69
- Percent of adults participating in excessive drinking: 16.46
- Median monthly housing cost: $2,102
- Median household income: $143,754
- Percent of annual income going to housing: 17.5%
- Mountain View, CA
- Violent crime per capita: 0.00810
- Property crime per capita: 0.03771
- Motor vehicle crash deaths per 100,000 residents: 6.92
- Drug overdose deaths per 100,000 residents: 14.67
- Percent of adults participating in excessive drinking: 14.92
- Median monthly housing cost: $2,948
- Median household income: $174,156
- Percent of annual income going to housing: 20.3%
- Pacifica, CA
- Violent crime per capita: 0.00234
- Property crime per capita: 0.01419
- Motor vehicle crash deaths per 100,000 residents: 5.38
- Drug overdose deaths per 100,000 residents: 15.87
- Percent of adults participating in excessive drinking: 16.65
- Median monthly housing cost: $2,894
- Median household income: $151,849
- Percent of annual income going to housing: 22.9%
- Fishers, IN
- Violent crime per capita: 0.00344
- Property crime per capita: 0.01414
- Motor vehicle crash deaths per 100,000 residents: 5.18
- Drug overdose deaths per 100,000 residents: 12.71
- Percent of adults participating in excessive drinking: 17.41
- Median monthly housing cost: $1,645
- Median household income: $126,548
- Percent of annual income going to housing: 15.6%
- Fort Lee, NJ
- Violent crime per capita: 0.00829
- Property crime per capita: 0.02450
- Motor vehicle crash deaths per 100,000 residents: 4.36
- Drug overdose deaths per 100,000 residents: 19.00
- Percent of adults participating in excessive drinking: 16.10
- Median monthly housing cost: $1,939
- Median household income: $101,573
- Percent of annual income going to housing: 22.9%
- Carmel, IN
- Violent crime per capita: 0.00382
- Property crime per capita: 0.01497
- Motor vehicle crash deaths per 100,000 residents: 5.18
- Drug overdose deaths per 100,000 residents: 12.71
- Percent of adults participating in excessive drinking: 17.41
- Median monthly housing cost: $1,666
- Median household income: $132,859
- Percent of annual income going to housing: 15.0%
- Livermore, CA
- Violent crime per capita: 0.00232
- Property crime per capita: 0.01937
- Motor vehicle crash deaths per 100,000 residents: 6.52
- Drug overdose deaths per 100,000 residents: 18.10
- Percent of adults participating in excessive drinking: 15.85
- Median monthly housing cost: $2,856
- Median household income: $152,590
- Percent of annual income going to housing: 22.5%
- Massapequa, NY
- Violent crime per capita: 0.00137
- Property crime per capita: 0.01007
- Motor vehicle crash deaths per 100,000 residents: 6.07
- Drug overdose deaths per 100,000 residents: 18.39
- Percent of adults participating in excessive drinking: 16.40
- Median monthly housing cost: $3,051
- Median household income: $170,151
- Percent of annual income going to housing: 21.5%
Data and Methodology
To find the safest suburbs, SmartAsset compared data for 360 places that are within 15 to 45 minutes of the 100 largest U.S. cities by car, that have at least 5,000 residents, by the following metrics:
- Violent crime rate. The number of violent crimes per 100,000 residents. Data comes from the FBI's 2022 Uniform Crime Reporting Database; missing crime data was supplemented by NeighborhoodScout.com
- Property crime rate. The number of property crimes per 100,000 residents. Data comes from the FBI's 2022 Uniform Crime Reporting Database; missing crime data was supplemented by NeighborhoodScout.com
- Vehicular mortality rate. The number of deaths due to traffic accidents per 100,000 residents. Data is from the 2024 County Health Rankings.
- Drug poisoning mortality rate. The number of drug poisoning deaths per 100,000 residents. Data is from the 2024 County Health Rankings.
- Percentage of the population engaging in excessive drinking. The percentage of adults who consumed more than four drinks of alcohol for women or five drinks of alcohol for men on a single occasion over a 30-day period, or who engage in heavy drinking, which is defined as drinking more than one drink per day for women or two drinks a day for men on average. Data is from the 2022 County Health Rankings.
The vehicular mortality rate, drug poisoning mortality rate and percentage of the population engaging in excessive drinking are all measured at the county level. Violent and property crime rates are at the city level.
To measure the housing affordability of the 35 safest suburbs, we compared them across the following metrics:
- Median monthly housing costs. Data comes from the Census Bureau's 5-year American Community Survey from 2022.
- Median household income. Data comes from the Census Bureau's 5-year American Community Survey from 2022.
This story was produced by SmartAsset and reviewed and distributed by Stacker Media.
Contact Tony Reid at (217) 421-7977. Follow him on Twitter: @TonyJReid
Tony Reid
Macon County Courts Reporter
