Inset: Daontez Hodges. (Louisville Metro Corrections Center). Background: Authorities at the scene where Hodges allegedly killed Milton Ritchie (WLKY).
A teenager from Kentucky is facing charges in connection with the fatal shooting of a 20-year-old man last month, in what authorities describe as a calculated ambush.
Nineteen-year-old Daontez Hodges Jr. was apprehended this week and is being charged with complicity to murder, complicity to robbery, illegal possession of a firearm by a convicted felon, and involvement in an unlawful transaction with a minor. These charges stem from the killing of Milton Ritchie, as reported by local authorities.
The Louisville Metropolitan Police Department revealed in a press statement that Hodges surrendered himself at a Kentucky Probation and Parole office on Tuesday.
Additionally, a 15-year-old girl, accused of orchestrating the victim’s approach to the scene, was detained last month and now faces charges of complicity to murder and complicity to robbery. Her identity has not been disclosed due to her juvenile status.
Local Fox affiliate WDRB reported additional insights from court documents that shed light on the events surrounding the shooting and the subsequent arrests.
The report details that on the afternoon of December 20, authorities responded to a shooting incident on the 3000 block of Fordhaven Road, near St. Anthony Church Road in Louisville’s Pleasure Ridge Park area. Upon arrival, responders discovered Ritchie suffering from two gunshot wounds: one in the lower back and another in the neck.
Despite paramedics performing lifesaving procedures, Ritchie succumbed to his wounds and was pronounced dead at the scene. His body was reportedly found adjacent to his car, which had crashed into a ditch.
In a court memo, investigators alleged that Ritchie was lured to the area of the shooting by the 15-year-old girl, who he believed was meeting him at that location. However, when Ritchie arrived, he was reportedly met by the 15-year-old as well as Hodges and several other “involved parties,” local NBC affiliate WAVE reported.
Shortly after Ritchie arrived, investigators believe Hodges shot him twice with a rifle.
The Louisville Courier Journal reported that the fatal attack on Ritchie was part of a “revenge plan” that included stealing the victim’s car.
The Journal further reported that Hodges is also facing charges for allegedly robbing a liquor store on Jan. 1. He allegedly stole two bottles of liquor from the establishment and then broke one of those bottles over the head of a store clerk who followed him outside. The clerk reportedly suffered severe injuries that required surgery.
Hodges is currently being held in the Louisville Metro Corrections Center on $150,000 cash-only bond. He is scheduled to appear in court for his arraignment on Jan. 22.
Ritchie’s family told local CBS affiliate WLKY that the 20-year-old had just gone grocery shopping and visited his father in the hospital before he was killed.
“We are grateful for the progress in our son’s case. We are trusting the process and thankful for the work being done. Please continue to pray for us as we seek justice for Milton,” Milton’s parents said in a statement to the station.
