By Hayleigh Gowans

Staff Writer

A 15-year-old male and 16-year old male have been identified as the suspects in the Jan. 23 attempted shooting of a sheriff’s deputy at the Springfield Garden Apartment complex in DeWitt, announced Onondaga County Sheriff Eugene Conway.

At a press conference held on Jan. 25, less than 48 hours after the incident that occurred Monday night, Conway announced the arrest of a 15-year-old male, of Caton Drive, DeWitt and Isaiah Outley, 16, of Delray Avenue, Syracuse. Conway said the 15-year-old’s identity will not be released because he is legally not considered an adult, but both teens were charged as adults with attempted murder in the second degree and criminal possession of a weapon in the second degree. (Note: Eagle Newspapers does not typically release the identity of those under 18 years charged with crimes, but due to the felony charges will release the identities of those 16 and older.)

Conway said Outley and the 15-year-old have had previous contact with law enforcement and were currently in the probation program, and therefore could not release the nature of these previous crimes. Two handguns recovered from the suspects are believed to be involved in the shooting, but further forensic testing must be done to determine definitively, said Conway.

The sheriff’s department is continuing to investigate the incident, but Conway said they believe the detective may have been a target of a robbery by the two teens who both lived in the area of the apartment complex.

“It’s very concerning to me, we have a 16-year-old and a 15-year-old who are in possession of weapons and in this case certainly had no hesitation to use those weapons,” said Conway.

In the evening of Jan. 23, a sheriff’s detective, whose name has not been released, was carrying out surveillance in an unmarked sheriff’s vehicle during a drug investigation at the Springfield Garden Apartments on Caton Drive in DeWitt. As the detective sat in an unmarked vehicle, two males on foot approached his vehicle and fired multiple shots, nearly striking the detective, Conway said. The suspects fled south on foot through the parking lot after firing shots.

The detective did not suffer any gunshot injuries and quickly drove away from the danger and he also did not fire his weapon. He was brought to a local hospital to be examined for minor injuries sustained from glass fragmentation, but was released later in the night of Jan. 23.

Conway said the identification of the two suspects was due to feedback from the community and cooperation with the probation officers of the two suspects.

Outley was arraigned on Jan. 25 in the Town of DeWitt Court before Judge David Gideon who set bail at $250,000 cash or bond. The 15-year-old was arraigned the night of Jan. 24 in the Town of DeWitt and is currently being held at the Hillbrook Juvenile Detention Center on bail set at $250,000 cash or bond.

The drug investigation, which involved undercover detectives attempting to purchase heroin from the target of the investigation, resulted in the arrest of Jose Marcano, 31, of Caton Drive, Dewitt. Marcano was arrested and charged with criminal sale of a controlled substance in the third degree and criminal possession of a controlled substance in the third and seventh degrees. He was arraigned on Jan. 24 in the Town of Salina Court and is being held on a bail of $50,000cash/$100,000 bond.

There is no know connection between the two shooting suspects and Marcano, said Conway, but the sheriff’s department is continuing to investigate in incident.

If you have any information you think might be pertinent to the investigation, call 315-435-3081 or send an anonymous tip via Tip411.