Testimony heard in Pomona barbershop killing case
A judge ruled Tuesday that three people must stand trial on murder charges for the shooting death of an Ontario resident last year at a Pomona barbershop.
Larry Hammett, 46, was shot and killed in the course of a robbery attempt July 27 at Groom Time All Star Barbers, 924 E. Holt Ave., according to testimony Tuesday at a preliminary hearing in Pomona Superior Court.
At the conclusion of the hearing, Judge Charles Horan ruled that Omari Ali, 20, Keyon Rasheed Hill, 19, and Breeana Finley, 19, must stand trial on murder charges.
Demond White, a friend of Hammett's and a frequent visitor to Groom Time, testified that he visited the shop that morning to get a haircut and visit Hammett.
White testified that he and Hammett smoked marijuana in the alley before the start of the day's business at Groom Time.
Hammett told White that he expected a visitor that day to make a large marijuana purchase, White testified. White testified that he saw Hammett bagging the marijuana in the barbershop's private office.
Less than an hour later, Ali and Hill visited the barbershop to meet with Hammett, presumably for the marijuana transaction, in the shop's private office, White testified.
Sounds of a struggle soon followed, White testified.
"Ninety seconds later I heard Larry screaming, 'Folks, folks, folks, folks, folks,'" White testified.
White said another barber opened the office door, and White said he saw Hammett, Ali and Hill struggling over a black leather bag containing the marijuana.
White testified that he saw Ali reach for a pistol in his waistband. White testified that he turned and ran from the barbershop, and as his back was turned he heard several gunshots.
After Ali and Hill fled the area, White said he went back to the barbershop and found that Hammett had been shot several times and was unresponsive.
One of the shop's other barbers, Dominic Moffett, testified that immediately prior to the shooting, he saw Finley sitting in the driver's seat of a champagne-colored sedan in the alley behind the barbershop.
A woman who worked at a nearby bridal store testified that she saw two men matching the description of Ali and Hill run to the car and get in following the shooting.
The three defendants did score a victory at the hearing because Horan did not hold them to answer on allegations in the charges that the crime was committed for the benefit of a street gang.
Walter Newman, Ali's attorney, said that juries can be swayed in favor of the prosecution when charges contain gang allegations.
The three defendants were in custody Tuesday and remained jailed in lieu of bail. They are due back in court Feb. 19.
Wow... guess those people who got their throats jumped down after posting that they bet it was drug related were right huh?
True theres a lesson in dont be so quick to judge, but theres also a lesson in you may think you know but you really dont.
"Upstanding" citizens, friends and family, surprise us all the time.
DO NOT JUDGE HIM IF YOU DID NOT KNOW HIM.... I knew Larry for 20 years. No matter what is was about he did not deserve to die. I hope the people who killed him get the death penalty. Stacey
Drugs, money, guns. Hmmmm......ya think their was a risk factor there?
I PRAY TO GOD THAT THEY HAVE MERCEY ON BOTH OF MY BABIES I LOVE THEM BOTH AND AS FOR FINLEY I'M SORRY THAT YOU WERE IN THE WRONG PLACE AT THE WRONG TIME........ TO THE FAMILIES I'M SORRY FOR YOUR LOST !! Just think if you were on the other side of the fence you would feel the same as I do but no1 deserves to have there life taken away and the death penalty won't bring him back and I understand that you want us to feel what you feel...... but the truth is we do eveyday because out love ones are gone 2 in a since ** keyon and omari are not ruthless and are not the monsters that this whole ordeal is making them out to be they are actually loveing and caring they just happen to be in the wrong place at the wrong. Time!!!
You love them but we loved larry. I can't feel your pain because those two "babies" as you call them, who are not ruthless or monsters, are what we know as "COWARDS/MURDER'S" who deserve everything they get and some!!! They couldn't be at the wrong place when they choose to come there on there own, with the intent to rob larry in the first place. They were grown up enough to take a life so they damn sho' need to be grown up enough to loose their own. Fair exchange = no robbery. Exodus 21.12-14 then after that read Exodus 21.24-25. Keyon is so loving and caring that he set larry up because he knew him enough to get close to him, ol' loving and caring Omari came to robb him, then shot larry to death because he resisted, and let's see, they were such good people in the wrong place at the wrong time because they are some murderers who got theirselves caught? Cut it out. Don't try to paint an innocent picture of these two murderers, they know what they did and in truth, you know what they did too so STOP IT!! They deserve worst than the death penalty and one things for sure, God will make sure they recieve the justified heated flames that await them all. The female Breeana too, she just as guilty and deserves worst that what she got.
Let's see...where do I start....How about this...we are all gonnna leave this place you all call earth...now how, when, where, why...only one person knows that....do you know him?
As for those babies....babies...once...grown men now...there were at the right place at the right time...just were ther faith took them.
Today I pray that we all understand that death becomes us all!
I think everything happened how it was suppose to on trial. NO one will know for sure what happened behind that closed door. Jury did the best they could with what little evidence they had to work with. To "Anonymous"-- Please know there are people who feel the same as you do. Your not alone, and this is a sad situation for all the families involved. This was a life altering experience for everyone, even the jurors. Larry didn't deserve to die in this manner, and the Ali and Hill don't deserve to for everyone to assume they are guilty. God will look down at all the souls and handle accordingly. He listens to all of us. My prayers go out to all the families involved. All of the articles don't do the case any justice-- it's not what really happened in that courtroom. YOu had to be there to understand how difficult this situation was. YOu had to see the faces of everyone, and their loss. Very depressing.