3 Charged in Marvin Winans Carjacking Case
Prosecutors charged three men Sunday in relation to the robbery and carjacking of minister and Grammy Award-winning singer the Rev. Marvin Winans.
The suspects were identified as Montoya Givens, Christopher Moorehead, both 20, and Brian K. Young, 18, according to The Associated Press.
While Givens and Moorehead are residents of Detroit, Young is from Macomb County's Clinton Township. The three, who appeared in Detroit's 36th District Court Sunday, were charged with carjacking, unarmed robbery and conspiracy.
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"This is just an example of the diligence that our officers put forth when investigating criminal cases," police chief Ralph Godbee said in a statement.
Winans, the pastor of the 4,500-member Perfecting Church, was assaulted last Wednesday when he pulled into a Citgo gas station in Detroit, Mich., to refuel his SUV. "I'm just saddened that it has come to this," Winans said after the incident. "This kind of nonsense just has to stop. It's just the savageness of what's happening in the street."
The court will decide June 1 if there's enough evidence against the suspects for the case to go to trial.
Winans' black SUV was recovered last Thursday. The 54-year-old minister, who delivered Whitney Houston's eulogy in February, lost his $15,000 Rolex watch, iPhone, briefcase and wallet containing $200.
"I was putting my gas in the tank and turned around to face them," Winans was quoted as saying Thursday. He was soon engaged in casual conversation with three or four young men and became distracted when one of them said his gas was overflowing. "When I looked down, one stepped in and hit me from behind. They pulled me on the ground, and they were kicking me and kicking me. Someone grabbed the car and went. I remember throwing a punch and missing."
Winans says the attack has brought his attention to the change the city needs. "The city is fixable, and it starts with the men of the city, in particular the black men," he was quoted as telling reporters before delivering Sunday's sermon. "And I ... want to urge all of you men who hear me to go and get your sons. I'm not bitter. I'm not upset. I'm saddened by what has taken place. But I'm also inspired. We have to make a change in this city."
