Teen Charged With Killing BPD Lieutenant's Husband Linked To Two Open Warrants Prior To Murder
BALTIMORE (WJZ) -- James Blue III, a father of three, was shot multiple times in his car while waiting for an appliance delivery outside his home on Walker Avenue in Northeast Baltimore last month.
Now, there is new concern about whether the suspect in the case, Sahiou Kargbo, an 18-year-old Mervo High School student, should have been taken off the streets before the killing.
Baltimore County police had already linked the suspect to an armed robbery at a Wendy's in Parkville and obtained a warrant for his home several days before the murder of Blue.
But that no-knock warrant was not served until the day after Blue was killed.
According to charging documents in the armed robbery case, police used surveillance video and records subpoenaed from the rideshare company Lyft to tie him to crime, where he is accused of putting a semiautomatic handgun to the head of a worker in the restaurant.
Baltimore County police already had an address for Kargbo on Northwick Road in the Northeast part of Baltimore City.
On Friday, January 21st, court records show they obtained a warrant to search that home.
But that warrant was not served until Wednesday, January 26th. That is when they found a gun and ammunition in Kargbo's home and took him into custody. They said he confessed to the armed robbery.
The day before the warrant was served, Tuesday, January 25th, is when police said Kargbo shot and killed Blue.
By the time the teen was eventually charged with Blue's murder, he was already in custody for the Baltimore County crime.
Also, Baltimore City police say a D.E.A. agent working a separate case observed Kargbo the day prior the killing on the same block where Blue was murdered. The agent said Kargbo was acting suspiciously—carrying bags from another home to what they eventually found to be a stolen SUV.
In addition, the suspect already had an open warrant against him for discharging a firearm in the city. That alleged crime happened November 5th. The warrant was issued on December 28th.
Baltimore County police wrote that Kargbo was a member of the Harford and 28th Street gang and was known to carry a gun with him regularly.
Blue's son, who was on the phone with him when he was shot, wrote a heartfelt tribute to his father posted to an online fundraiser. As of Monday night it has raised nearly $40,000.
County police sent WJZ a statement Monday evening, including a timeline for when the warrant was issued. They noted they needed time to coordinate the serving of the warrant and that it was solely for Kargbo's home.
Here is the complete statement from county police:
"During the course of an ongoing investigation into a commercial robbery that occurred on January 6, at a Parkville Wendy's, Baltimore County detectives obtained a search warrant for the residence of 18-year-old Sahiou Kargbo.
Below is a timeline:
- January 20, 2022 - A Baltimore County detective is in contact with Baltimore City to inform investigators that a no-knock warrant was about to be requested for a suspect that resided in the City and BPD's SWAT team services would be needed.
- January 20, 2022 warrant signed by Baltimore County State's Attorney Scott Shellenberger.
- January 21, 2022 Judge signs warrant. Necessary planning and coordination work, both internal and with Baltimore City Police, continues.
- January 24, 2022 – Plans to execute search warrant finalized.
- January 25, 2022 – Baltimore City was not available to execute the search warrant.
- January 26, 2022 – Warrant was executed.
This was a search warrant following a commercial robbery that occurred in Baltimore County. There was not an arrest warrant for Sahiou Kargbo at the time."
