By GLEN WERLING
A Fort Wayne woman received a 5-year sentence for the role she played in the October 2021 shooting at the Ossian Industrial Park.
Jayana Herman, 23, Fort Wayne, pleaded guilty in Wells Circuit Court to assisting a criminal, a Level 5 felony.
Judge Kent Kiracofe ordered Herman to serve five years in prison, but as part of a plea agreement, two of the years will be suspended. Once she completes her term of incarceration, she will be required to serve two years of probation.
Herman was also ordered to pay a $250 supplemental public defender fund service fee, court costs and probation fees. She also must submit a DNA sample.
As part of a plea agreement, charges of aggravated battery, a Level 3 felony, and possession of a firearm by a serious violent offender, a Level 4 felony, were both dismissed.
Herman was charged with providing a handgun to Reonte Moore, 23, Fort Wayne, allegedly so that Moore could shoot a co-worker with whom he had been arguing with at Berne Apparel Oct. 22, 2021.
Moore is scheduled March 15 for sentencing following his plea of guilty in January to one count of attempted murder, a Level 1 felony.
Herman told Indiana State Police detective Matthew Teusch that Moore was her “friend with benefits” and that they both belonged to a Fort Wayne street gang called GDN. Apparently the beef that Moore had with the man he is alleged to have shot was gang related.
She told Teusch that the night before, she went with some other people to New Haven to attack some people who had “been talking trash” about her. She added that she had been hearing a lot of gunfire in her neighborhood that night and she allowed Moore to borrow the gun for his protection. She told Teusch she received the gun back from Moore later that night.
On the morning of the shooting, Moore reportedly contacted Herman from Berne Apparel and asked her to bring him lunch. At that time, Moore reportedly also told Herman that he was “having problems with a guy at work” and that he planned to “beat him up.”
The alleged victim is also a resident of Fort Wayne. Herman reportedly told Teusch that she thought that Moore may have had orders to “take care” of the victim.
She told Teusch she showed up at Berne Apparel at 10 a.m. and met with Moore, who allegedly affirmed to Herman his plans to give the coworker a beating in the parking lot of the business. He reportedly wanted Herman to stay close by in her vehicle.
She told Teusch that she grabbed her 9 mm handgun from the back seat of her vehicle and handed it to Moore for protection.
She then told Teusch that she was on her cellphone in her car when she suddenly heard multiple gunshots. She looked up and saw Moore running to her car and the alleged victim running toward the employee entrance of the facility. She said she asked Moore if he shot someone and he reportedly replied, “No.”
They then sped away eastbound on Industrial Parkway to Jefferson Street and headed back toward Fort Wayne. She reportedly told Teusch that she saw Moore cradling the gun in his lap, so she grabbed it and threw it into the back seat of the car.
Their vehicle was stopped on a felony traffic stop near the intersection of Ind. 1 and I-469.
Reportedly the surveillance video at Berne Apparel captured video images of Moore shooting the alleged victim several times in the parking lot and then fleeing in the vehicle that Herman had driven to the factory.
The alleged victim was also caught on video reportedly trying to run to the employee door and then staggering back to the place where he had been shot.
glenw@news-banner.com
