HOUSE PARTY ROBBERY by Holden Wennekers

FOLLOWING: PHONE MESSAGES SEIZED DURING INVESTIGATION INTO HOUSE PARTY ROBBERY AT [ADDRESS REDACTED] ON 12/24/18, THIRTEEN DAYS PRIOR TO ARRESTS OF SUSPECTED ASSOCIATES. NAMES REDACTED (ALTERED PSEUDONYMS); INVESTIGATION IS ON-GOING.

MESSAGES SENT BETWEEN 22:48 AND 23:18 ON 12/25/18, TWELVE DAYS BEFORE ARRESTS. POLICE TIPPED OFF BY CONFIDENTIAL INFORMANT [NAME REDACTED], INSTRUCTED TO MAINTAIN DISTANT ACQUAINTANCESHIP WITH SUSPECT.

PERPETRATORS OF HOME INVASION (APPREHENDED OR DECEASED) AS LISTED:

SUSPECT #1: MOSS “MAZZA” COMBS (AGE 18)

SUSPECT #2: JAMES “JAPSER” DOSANJH (AGE 20)

SUSPECT #3: CURTIS “CUTTY” SMITH (AGE 21), ALL MALE.

NOTE: SUSPECTED ACQUAINTANCES OF HOME INVASION PERPETRATORS HAD NO DIRECT INVOLVEMENT IN HOUSE PARTY ROBBERY. NAMES REPLACED WITH PSEUDONYMS. PHONES SEIZED DUE TO INCRIMINATING NATURE OF TEXT MESSAGES REVEALING KEY ASPECTS IN PERSECUTING THE CASE.

PSEUDONYMS READ AS FOLLOW:

ACQUAINTANCE #1: MAC (AGE 18)

ACQUAINTANCE #2: DEV (AGE 19), BOTH MALE.

MESSAGES READ AS FOLLOW:

MAC (sent: 22:48): yo, playa.

MAC: where u been?

MAC: u hear wht happen to cutty n his boys ?!

DEV (22:50) nah, wht happened ?

MAC: they tried to rob that house party, u kno the one on [ADDRESS REDACTED] .

DEV: wht party ?

MAC: the party on [ADDRESS REDACTED]; party promoters from downtown threw it n charged ppl $ 2 enter: $5 for the ladies, $10 for the fellas.

DEV: yeesh.

DEV: musta been a helluva party.

MAC (22:52): not after cutty n the boys showed up.

DEV: so they robbed the place?

MAC: they tried 2.

MAC: whole thing went bad.

MAC: went south.

MAC: messed up.

DEV (22:52): wht happened ?

MAC: they showed up packin’.

MAC: shotguns.

MAC: waited ’til the party died down

MAC: ’round midnight.

MAC: bouncers had all the $ upstairs in the bathroom

MAC (22:53) cutty n the boys snuck around the house n ambushed the bouncers on the porch; stuck shotguns in their faces n forced em into the house wit all the party people hangin’ around; at least 30 ppl hangin’ up in there.

MAC: I heard all the people hangin around the front of the house ran like a buncha muthafucckin scared bitches when they saw the guns.

DEV (22:54): they take everyone hostages ?

MAC: yeah.

DEV: they take my cousin hostage ?

MAC: idk.

AT THIS POINT, SUSPECT CALLS COUSIN [NAME REDACTED]. CONVERSATION LASTS SEVEN MINUTES. INVESTIGATOR’S CONFIRM THE COUSIN HAD BEEN AT THE PARTY THE NIGHT OF THE ROBBERY, BUT LEFT AN HOUR BEFORE SAID ROBBERY TOOK PLACE. COUSIN WANS’T TAKEN HOSTAGE.

MAC: they beat the bouncers wit the butts of their shotguns n rounded em up in the living room; rounded up all the party people, up against the walls like they were under arrest n shit.

MAC: jasper - dumber than a muthafucka as he is - starts goin’ ‘round takin’ ppls wallets.

DEV (22:55): thts crzy

MAC: cutty headed upstairs 2 get the $ outta the bathroom - busted in the bedroom by accident n found three ppl havin’ nasty; like the kinda sorta nasty sweaty sex u see dem porno chick b havin’ in a porno flicks.

MAC: he busted it all up and put his shotguns in their faces n told em to tell here where the fuck the bathroom was; they didn’t know.

DEV (22:56): holy shit ! (shocked face emoji).

MAC: coculdnt find the gahddamn bathroom wit the $; n he got all panicked n shi

MAC: he didnt kno it: but thered been this bouncer hiding all quiet in the close in one of the bedrooms; n he’d been watchin’ cutty the whole time; watched cutty n his crew ambush the boys on the front porch.

MAC: so he crept outta the closet - without a gun - n he got within an inch of cutty before cutty turned around - shotgun raised - the bouncer slugged cutty in the jaw, knocked him out, took his shotgun.

DEV (22:58): what ?!

MAC: rest of the boys downstairs didnt hear it cuz dey wuz busy takin ppls wallets - n jasper didnt see him but the bouncer was creepin’ down the stairs; jasper turned around; the bouncer blasted him in the chest.

DEV: WHHHAAATT ???!!!

DEV: R U SERIOUS ?!

DEV: [NAME REDACTED], r u serious right now ? is this some kinda joke ?

MAC: swear on my mother it all happen tht way.

DEV CALLS MAC. MAC DOESN’T ANSWER. HE SENDS THE FOLLOWING MESSAGES:

MAC (23:00): caused a stampede in the house: all the party ppl chargin’ for the door, stomping over each other, and the bouncers.

MAC: mazza ran for the back door; while the crazy motherfucker blasted shells in his direction, shot the window out, then shot-out the back door - mazza runnin’ like a motherfuckin’ jack rabbit across the backyard n over the fence; street full of ppl scamperin’ all over the place; cars smashing into each other; police sirens wailin’ off in the distance gettin’ closer n closer.

MAC: n mazza’s gets the fuck in the getaway car and gets the fuuuucck outta there; leavin’ the other two behind; n gets out in the nick of time cuz the cops swarm the house but they never found him.

DEV (23:04): holy shit bro…

DEV: this happened last night?

MAC: yeah.

DEV: why the fuck didn’t I hear about this?

MAC: idk.

DEV: police ain’t found mazza yet-

DEV: have they?

MAC: nah; he’s hiding in the attic up at [NAME REDACTED]’s house.

MAC: dont tell anybody i told u tht.

DEV: howd u hear about dis shit ? were u at the party?

MAC: nah; my boy ducky; he went with his chick.

MAC: lotta fine tings at the party; couple of ‘em got their ankles twisted in the stampede out the party; lotta guys to.

MAC (23:05): lotta ppl got hurt in general tht night

DEV: jaspers dead ?

MAC: ye.

DEV: holy shit yo…

DEV (23:08): i cant even beliee this yo

DEV: hes dead

MAC: u acct shocked.

DEV: i am.

MAC (23:09): come on; u kno the way them guys wuz livin’; theyd been robbing houses since back in tenth grade.

DEV: styll; aint never fucked around n tried to rob an active house party.

DEV: how fuckin stupid could they be.

MAC (23:10): I guess it wuz pre stupid.

DEV: wht happened to cutty ?

MAC (23:11): he got arrested at the party.

MAC: police took him to the hospital; bouncer rlly did a number on his jaw; shattered it like a flowerpot.

DEV: holy fucking shit yo.

MAC: i aint even tell u the craziest part.

DEV: wht?

MAC: on his way out; mazza was zippin’ it like nearly 70 mph down the alleyways; n there was this little kid on his bike n shi.

DEV (23:13): no….

MAC: ye…

DEV: at night ?

MAC: ye; u kno how some of those kids do.

DEV: r u fucking serious ?…

MAC: ye; i wish i was joking yo.

DEV: Jesus Christ.

DEV: n now hes just hiding up at [NAME REDACTED]’s pad?

MAC (23:14): ye.

MAC: u cant tell anybody.

DEV: he jus hit the kid n ran?

MAC: ye.

DEV: is this shit on the news?

MAC: its all the news is talkin’ about

MAC: lol.

DEV (23:17): how much they?

MAC: I hav no idea.

MAC: doesnt matter.

MAC: they didnt get to keep any of it; n ii dont even think cutty wuz able to find it.

DEV: how much would they have gotten ?

MAC: (23:18) not sure.

MAC: [name redacted] told me like 200-250 showed up to the party - 100 guys n 100-150 ladies. DEV: damn; all tht 4 a measly ass $1750.

MAC ye…

DEV: tht aint even a lot of money now a-days.

MESSAGES END:

TRANSCRIPTION: VOICEMAIL PLACED BY SUSPECTED ACQUAINTANCE [MAC] TO [DEV] ON 01/06/19 AT 08:55 — HOUR OR SO BEFORE MAC’S ARREST AT 10:00 (MILITARY TIME):

MAC: (BEEP) “Yo, bro! Where the fuck you at? I called you like seven fuckin’ times my guy. Picked up your phone brother! We gotta talk, like; now, bro. I think something serious is about to go down. Police arresting a bunch of people, over that house party thing, ‘cause [NAME REDACTED] tellin’ me that they’re really trying to find where Moss at and put him in cuffs. They’re gonna arrest anyone who knew and didn’t tell. Yo, man; just pick up your Goddamned phone motherfucker. Did you lose it or something? Did it fall in-between your fucking car seat?! Pissing me off, my guy. Get back at me!”

VOICEMAIL ENDS:

HOURS PRIOR: SUSPECT “DEV,” ALONG WITH SEVERAL OTHER CRIMINAL ASSOCIATES SUSPECTED TO HAVE WITHHELD INFORMATION FROM POLICE — IN PARTICULAR: PERTAINING TO SEARCH FOR SUSPECT “MAZZA” — ARRESTED AND TAKEN INTO POLICE INTERROGATION. SUSPECT MAZZA STILL AT LARGE AT THIS POINT.

DEV TAKEN TO AN INTERROGATION ROOM, WHERE HE SPENT FIFTY MINUTES. DETECTIVES TALK CASUALLY WITH SUSPECT A WHILE, ASK ABOUT HIS BASKETBALL PLAYING, WHICH HE TELLS THEM HE’S INTO; BEFORE THEY GRILL HIM: ABOUT THE PARTY, ABOUT MOSS AND WHERE HE IS.

TRANSCRIPT OF INTERROGATION; LAST TEN MINUTES (01/06/19 AT 11:47):

WHIRLING FAN IN BACKGROUND, LOUD, GRAINY AUDIO QUALITY.

DETECTIVE #1: “We know you know where he is.”

DEV: “How?”

DETECTIVE #2: “We looked at your phone.”

DEV: (silent)

DETECTIVE #1: “Just give it up, kid. We’ve got other suspects who can give us a location on Moss; but if you want to save us some time, tell us right now: where’s Moss?”

DEV: “If you went through my phone, you should already know that.”

DETECTIVE #1: “Where does [NAME REDACTED] live?’

“NAME REDACTED” SUSPECT APPREHENDED HOURS LATER.

DEV: (deep sigh, panicked breaths) “I- if I tell you, then I’m in deep shit.”

DETECTIVE #2: “With who?”

DEV: “Mazza knows people. So does Cutty.”

BOTH DETECTIVES REMAIN SILENT.

DETECTIVE #1: “What if we offer you protection.”

DEV: “Like witness protection?”

DETECTIVE #1: “N- not quite.”

DEV: “Then I’m as good as fucked no matter what the fuck I do.”

DETECTIVE #2: “So do the right thing [NAME REDACTED/PSEUDONYM: DEV], and tell us where that scum bag is hiding."

DEV: “I-“

DETECTIVE #2: “Think about that poor little kid. That poor little kid who probably couldn’t sleep at night. Went out to ride around on his bike, assuming things were safe enough in his neighborhood to do so. But then along comes wild wreck-less young punks like your friend Moss, who isn’t even man enough to own up to what he did. Shit, if I did something like that—ran a kid over—you’d bet I’d have the balls to turn myself in.”

SILENCE.

DETECTIVE #2: “So, tell us… Where’s that miserable fuck laying his head?”

SUSPECT MOSS “MAZZA” COMBS APPREHENDED 01/06/19 AT 14:13 ON GROUNDS OF [ADDRESS REDACTED]. TRIAL PENDING FOR ALL APPREHENDED SUSPECTS; INCLUDING ONE CURTIS “CUTTY” SMITH, STILL RECOVERING IN HOSPITAL.

CASE: ON-GOING.