An argument stemming from a young drug dealer’s decision to go off on his own in the business turned deadly last month when he shot his former associate in Austin, Cook County prosecutors said.
Montay Dobbins, 27, was denied bail late last week when he faced a charge of first-degree murder in the shooting death of 57-year-old Ronnie Howard on Dec. 27.
Prosecutors said Howard was angry with Dobbins because Dobbins wanted to sell drugs on his own without Howard’s approval or knowledge.
As a result, Howard repeatedly called and texted Dobbins throughout the day of the shooting, prosecutors said.
The repeated calls and texts allegedly annoyed Dobbins, who prosecutors said was captured on surveillance cameras at an apartment building in the 5200 block of West Crystal Street holding a gun and looking out a window.
About 7 p.m. that night, Howard drove to meet Dobbins at the apartment.
When Dobbins exited the building to meet with Howard, he first went to his car, which was parked in front of Howard’s and then approached Howard in the street, prosecutors said. An argument between the two men ensued, but never turned physical.
Howard returned to his car and was sitting in the driver’s seat when Dobbins went to his own car, and then ran up and quickly opened Howard’s door, pointing a handgun at him, prosecutors said.
The gun initially jammed, but Dobbins continued to pull the trigger, eventually shooting Howard in the chest and shoulder and killing him, prosecutors said.
Video cameras across the street captured the shooting and cellphone records showed the calls and texts between the two men throughout the day, prosecutors said. A witness at the scene also allegedly identified Dobbins as the shooter.
Dobbins was taken into custody in Sycamore, according to Chicago police records.
An assistant public defender for Dobbins said he was a lifelong resident of Cook County who graduated from Oak Park River Forest High School and had a steady work history, including his current employment with UPS, which had offered to send him to school to get a license to operate large trucks.
Judge John F. Lyke Jr. noted that Dobbins had graduated from one of the best high schools in the area and said his work history showed he could have gone down a different path.
However, the judge said, prosecutors had told him both men were apparently drug dealers, and told Dobbins that one mistake was enough to change a person’s life.
Lyke ordered Dobbins held without bail on the charge and set his next court date for Feb. 7.
