/Syracuse

Syracuse teens arrested for murder   

SYRACUSE -- The Syracuse Police Department and the Onondaga County District Attorney’s office have announced that they have arrested two teenage boys for the shooting death of 49-year-old Nathaniel Jamison of Syracuse.

In a news conference Friday afternoon, officials said that 16-year-old VaTell Baptista and 13-year-old Montell Camber are responsible for Jamison’s death, which took place late Wednesday night in his home on West Newell Street. According to authorities, the two suspects forcibly entered Jamison’s home and shot him in the back. Apparently Jamison was known in the neighborhood as a peddler of knock-off goods and owned the house, although they say that he did not live there.

After the shooting, the teens allegedly fled the scene. Jamison was found wounded in the driveway, and died a short time later at University Hospital.

Baptista, who until this past September was a student at Corcoran High School, will be charged with second degree murder. Camber is a student at Danforth School and has been charged as a juvenile offender.

According to police, Baptista is also wanted for a separate arson incident on October 29 involving a ‘molotov cocktail’ on Primrose Avenue. He was actually arrested by police on suspicion of burglary involving a laptop computer. Police did not list all of the charges against Baptista because they say that they are still gathering evidence.

The maximum sentence for Baptista is 25 years to life if convicted on the murder charge. Camber could get 9 years to life for his alleged role in the crime.

 

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