One of four men charged with invading a Lafayette Village home in January and attacking people in the apartment pleaded guilty to three of 16 charges Friday.
Christopher Allen Williams Jr., 22 — along with Marklin Antonio Mitchell, Devonte J. Hayes and D’Andre Andrews Hardy — were arrested in March after police say the four entered the apartment with handguns and shotguns, threatened the occupants, stole cell phones, jewelry and money and fled the scene.
A 20-year-old man was shot in the neck and upper arm during the alleged invasion. Two young children were also in the apartment at the time, according to police.
A witness in the apartment complex saw the four men getting into a gold Ford Taurus and provided the license plate number to police, according to a criminal compliant filed against the men in Williamsburg-James City County District Court.
Police found the vehicle parked in a 7-Eleven on Pocahontas Trail about an hour after the incident occurred and found Hayes and Mitchell in the vehicle, then went to a residence on Algonquin Trail where they found Hardy and Williams.
Williams entered an Alford plea Friday, in which he admits there is enough evidence to be found guilty but not that he is guilty, for one charge of robbery, one charge of armed burglary and one charge of using a firearm in the commission of a felony.
Seven counts of using a firearm in the commission of a felony, one count of abduction by force or intimidation, three counts of malicious bodily injury and two counts of robbery were dropped at a hearing for Williams in Williamsburg-James City County Circuit Court on Friday.
He originally pleaded not guilty in June — the first of the four men — and was scheduled for a trial by jury Tuesday. Alleged co-conspirator Hayes pleaded not guilty in July to 16 felony charges related to the alleged invasion. His trial is scheduled for Nov. 13.
Mitchell also pleaded not guilty in July. Mitchell and Hardy’s trials are scheduled for Nov. 17.
Williams will be sentenced in Williamsburg-James City County Circuit Court at 1 p.m. Dec. 17.
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