As police continue to investigate a shooting at a local car dealership, a friend of the alleged shooter spoke exclusively with NBC 6 and said he was at the wrong place at the wrong time.
The witness didn’t want to show his face for fear of retaliation. He said he watched as his friend, Jonah Charles, shot a 15-year-old boy while protecting his car business. The witness said he was the person who called 911 and eventually handed the phone to Charles.
Charles: “They come to steal my car again.”
Dispatcher: “Okay, they’re coming to steal your car?”
Charles: “Yeah”
Dispatcher: “Okay, hold on.”
The night before the shooting, someone broke into Charles’ Pompano Beach car dealership and stole two cars along with all of the keys from inside. The next night, police say four teens showed up again, this time in one of the stolen vehicles, a Mercedes-Benz.
“When I hear the trouble, then I open the door a little bit and saw him yelling and screaming, ‘Call 911! Call 911! Someone tried to rob me.”
The witness said he heard multiple gun shots and bullet holes were found covering the cars in the parking lot. According to the witness, he heard someone say, “don’t shoot!”
During the entire incident, 911 dispatchers were listening to the exchange between Charles and the suspects.
Local
Victim: "Ahh, you shot me bro."
Dispatcher: "Is someone stabbed?"
Charles: "Ok, stop right there."
Victim: "I can't breathe. I can't breathe."
Dispatcher: "Sir, was someone stabbed?”
The witness said he was scared and afraid for his own life as he heard shots ring out.
“Somebody’s shooting! If somebody shoots me, I can get killed,” the witness told NBC 6.
Charles is now facing attempted murder charges and refused to comment to the media in May. But his friend did have something to say to Charles.
“I mean, that’s not nice,” the witness said. “Because I have a 15-year-old boy too; so if something like that happens, it hurts. Its hurts. The law knows what to do.”
Police said they have found all of the teenagers involved in the incidents and all of them are now facing burglary charges. The 15-year-old who was shot is still recovering from his gunshot wound.
