Ellettsville police arrested four people Sept. 24 after connecting them to a July 17 assault using evidence from Snapchat messages and geolocations.
Shelby Renee Givens, 18, Jaevaun Hopkins,17, Anthony Linares, 17, and Jacob Gadd, 19, were arrested on felony robbery and battery charges each after a violent attack left a man hospitalized.
At 2:07 a.m. July 17, the victim called the Ellettsville Police Department to report he had been assaulted. First responders transported him to IU Health Bloomington Hospital, where he was treated for a head injury, nasal fracture and facial lacerations among other injuries.
In an interview with police at the hospital, the man said he went to the Ellettsville Youth Sports Baseball Fields “to hang out” with Givens. There, he got in a black Chrysler 300 of which Givens was behind the wheel. He was then pulled out of the vehicle and four masked men wearing all black began striking him in the face and torso.
The victim recalled being hit with a pistol he believed to be a Glock equipped with a two-round magazine. The victim told police that during the assault, one of the men said, “Give me that gun.” The victim told police he didn’t have a gun on him when he was assaulted nor was he known for carrying one.
The victim told police he recognized a cross tattoo on the arm of one attacker he believed to be Gadd, a former friend of his. He told police about a confrontation in early July that led to Gadd pepper spraying him after Gadd accused him of stealing his “peanut butter” Glock 19x.
The affidavit stated while he was in the hospital, the victim’s mother Snapchat messaged a friend of his who was also Gadd’s ex-girlfriend. Edwards alleged “Tony, JWill, Jacob, and JDot,” were responsible for the assault. She claimed to have asked Gadd about the assault, to which he responded with a laughing emoji.
Bloomington police pulled over a 2015 black Chrysler 300 on July 20 driven by Linares accompanied by Gadd, Givens and Hopkins.
During a follow-up interview July 22, the victim told police he reached out to Givens, who denied having any involvement. Minutes after, he received a friend request from a user named “Chulo” who had a profile containing a picture of a man sitting on the trunk of a dark-colored Chrysler 300. Chulo messaged him, saying, “Aye slime get my name out yo mouth.”
On July 24, Ellettsville police obtained warrants for the Snapchat accounts belonging to Givens, Gadd, Hopkins and Linares. According to the affidavit, messages confirmed Givens had planned to meet the victim at the baseball park. Four minutes after the victim reported the crime, Givens reached out to him through Snapchat, saying “Thas yo message.”
At 4:39 a.m. July 17, Givens messaged an unknown individual, saying, “We set him up.” When the individual inquired about who else was involved, Givens replied, “Jacob gadd.” Using geolocations obtained from Snapchat, police said they were able to connect the suspects to Linares’ Chrysler 300 by tracking the vehicle through security footage and a license plate reader system.
After leaving Linares’ residence the night of the crime, Gadd, Hopkins and Givens were identified together near South Patterson Drive in Bloomington. From 1:59 to 2:01 a.m., Givens' location shows her at the baseball field parking lot where the crime occurred. Gadd’s location became unavailable from 1:42 to 4:31 a.m. along with Hopkins’ from 1:44 to 2:29 a.m.
Police said during an interview Aug. 8, Linares admitted to lending the Chrysler 300 to Gadd who intended to “set up” the victim. After searching the Chrysler 300, police found a red substance that appeared to be dried blood on the floor of the vehicle.
In an Aug. 11 interview with police, according to the affidavit, Gadd admitted to pepper spraying the victim in the early July confrontation the victim mentioned to police. Gadd added he used the pepper spray after an orchestrated attack by the victim and two individuals who weren't mentioned in the affidavit.
According to police, Gadd “had no logical explanation” on why his phone location was with Givens, Linares, and Hopkins on July 17. Gadd said he knew Givens but not Hopkins and Linares. He stated he had “no idea why” Givens would name him as responsible for the assault.
The four suspects were arrested Sept. 24. Gadd and Linares have a bail hearing Oct. 14, Hopkins on Oct. 9 and Givens on Oct.15.
Gadd and Linares each paid a $30,000 surety bond and $500 cash bond to be released from jail. Linares was released Sept. 26, and Gadd was released Sept. 29. Givens and Hopkins remain in custody at the Monroe County Jail.
