A North Lauderdale homeowner who told police he shot and killed a would-be burglar lied to detectives to cover up for his girlfriend's son, the Broward Sheriff's Office said.
Louis Campbell, 60, claimed he heard someone in the backyard of his home on the 8100 block of SW 11th Street just after 3 a.m. Friday. Campbell told deputies he shot the intruder, identified by BSO as 22 year-old Jeff Jean-Baptiste, who later died.
Campbell's partner, Rosa Lee, her 34-year-old son, Rahman Lee, and her 14-year-old granddaughter were all at home at the time of the incident. But by the time deputies arrived at the scene, Rahman Lee had left the home.
Homicide detectives found inconsistencies in Campbell's story. It eventually was revealed that Rahman Lee shot Jean-Baptiste. Lee told detectives he had been sitting on the back porch smoking marijuana when he heard someone open the door of the shed. He claimed he was startled and fired upon the subject.
BSO said Rahman Lee was previously convicted for trafficking cocaine and is not supposed to be in possession of a firearm. Campbell came up with the fabricated story to keep Lee from going back to prison.
Detectives still believe Jean-Baptiste's motive was to commit a burglary. Charges are pending the outcome of the investigation.
