Pair face murder charges after preliminary hearing

YOUNGSTOWN — Aggravated murder charges against a man and a woman for a June 23 shooting death were bound over to Mahoning County Common Pleas Court today following a preliminary hearing in municipal court.

Visiting Judge David Fuhry reduced the bond for 24-year-old Barraya Hickson, charged with complicity to aggravated murder, from $10 million to $1 million but continued the $10 million bond of Dashonti Baker, also 24, who is charged with aggravated murder.

The two are accused of the shooting death of Rae’venna Faircloth-Thomas, 24, who was found shot to death about 12:30 p.m. inside an SUV parked in the first block of Oneta Street.

Judge Fuhry ruled that there was probable cause to bind the case over to a grand jury after testimony from two neighbors and Detective Sgt. Michael Lambert on the type of car used in the crime, which was found at the home the two defendants share, and also because of inconsistencies in Baker’s statements to police.

Lambert also testified that a .40-caliber handgun and a 9mm handgun were found in the victim’s SUV match to a gun used in shootings in the city in 2009 and earlier this year. A third gun, another 9mm, was found Friday by Mill Creek MetroParks Police at Pioneer Pavillion and testing is underway to determine if that weapon was used to kill Faircloth-Thomas.

Lambert also testified that when questioned, Baker said he had not fired a gun for several years yet a gunshot residue test performed on him came out positive.