East Germantown man held for trial in fatal shooting of neighbor

A 32-year-old East Germantown man facing murder charges in connection with the February shooting death of his neighbor is now one step closer to standing trial.

Adrian “Rasheen” McCall was held for trial Wednesday following a preliminary hearing in a courtroom packed with victim Lonnie Workman’s family and friends.

According to police, officers responded to the 5500 block of Blakemore Street at 11:06 a.m. on Feb. 6.

There, they found Workman, 30, suffering from a single bullet wound to the abdomen. He was pronounced dead at Albert Einstein Medical Center less than 20 minutes later.

  • WHYY thanks our sponsors — become a WHYY sponsor

Relatives of suspect testify

Police were not called to testify during Wednesday’s proceedings. Assistant District Attorney Gail Fairman instead called McCall’s cousin and his girlfriend, who both sat inside a car stationed in the middle of the block on the day of the murder.

Desmond Jones and Nekisha Dotson drove to Blakemore Street that morning to pick up Jones’ father from McCall’s home and take him to a doctor’s appointment.

Shortly after stopping a couple doors past Jones’ aunt’s home, where his parents had been staying, Workman approached Jones’ burgundy Chevrolet Caprice.

“He was upset,” said Jones.

“He was just ranting and raving,” said Dotson.

A fight brewing

The pair said they paid little attention to Workman, focusing more on getting Jones’ father and mother out of the house and on the way to an appointment for which they were already running late.

Dotson did recall Workman telling Jones that he wanted to give McCall “a fair box” or fight.

After leaving Jones and Dotson, Workman headed towards McCall’s home, where his mother and McCall’s girlfriend waited on an elevated porch.

Following a conversation between Workman and Jones’ mother, McCall appeared in the doorway.

McCall and Workman then began to argue, something Jones’ said was not a first.

“It was commotion outside,” said Jones.

Shifting stories

What happened next remained unclear at the hearing.

After being apprehended by police around 4 a.m. on Feb. 7, Jones and Dotson each told investigators that they saw McCall shoot Workman.

Each, however, distanced themselves from those statements during Wednesday’s proceedings.

A bullet had blown out one of Jones’ tires. The two soon fled a scene to which police quickly swarmed.

“I was hysterical. I was crying,” said Dotson.

The entire episode, according to Dotson, transpired during about a 15-minute span, with McCall only appearing in the final few.

Municipal Court Judge Karen Y. Simmons ordered that McCall be held for trial on third-degree murder charges and related offenses. A $200,000 bail was also set.

McCall will be arraigned June 27. He will likely wait for that court date from inside the Curran-Fromhold Correctional Facility on State Road.

WHYY is your source for fact-based, in-depth journalism and information. As a nonprofit organization, we rely on financial support from readers like you. Please give today.

Want a digest of WHYY’s programs, events & stories? Sign up for our weekly newsletter.

Together we can reach 100% of WHYY’s fiscal year goal