Police find man who pleaded guilty in 2011 shooting hiding underneath attic insulation
Kennyon Jackson was placed into this Ypsilanti police car moments after being caught hiding under insulation in a Superior Township attic.
Courtesy of the Ypsilanti Police Department
Editor's note: The spelling of Det. Joe Yuhas' name has been corrected.
The Ypsilanti man who skipped out on his sentencing hearing after pleading guilty in a 2011 shooting incident was caught by police Tuesday afternoon hiding underneath insulation in the attic of a Superior Township home.
Det. Joe Yuhas of the Ypsilanti Police Department said they received an anonymous tip Kennyon Jackson, 20, was at a residence in the 1500 block of Stratford Court. Ypsilanti police and deputies from the Washtenaw County Sheriff’s Office both went to the home around 3 p.m.
“We searched the house initially and didn’t find him,” Yuhas said.
Near the door to the attic, police noticed bits of insulation on the floor. They asked the residents - who police said were Jackson’s “acquaintances” - when the last time they had been in the attic and the residents said “never,” Yuhas said.
Police then searched the attic.
“We found him hiding … basically hunkered down in some insulation,” Yuhas said. “It feels great to have him in custody. We’ve put a lot of man hours into tracking him down. A guy like this should definitely not be on the streets.”
Police will seek a charge of felonious resisting a police officer because Jackson hid in the attic while they searched the home for an hour. They have been looking for Jackson since he didn’t show up to his sentencing at the Washtenaw County Trial Court on June 18.
In May, Jackson pleaded guilty to a charge of carrying a weapon while committing a felony and assault with intent to do great bodily harm. According to court records, charges of assault with intent to murder, armed robbery, carrying a weapon with unlawful intent, discharging a firearm in a building and possessing a firearm while being a felon filed against Jackson will all be dismissed at sentencing.
Jackson was accused of shooting Antonio Cooper in the face in July 2011 at a South Grove Street apartment while Cooper was trying to sell Jackson and Tory Warren, who was also charged in the shooting, a pair of high-end sunglasses.
Police arrested Jackson in November at a Superior Township apartment and he was lodged at the Washtenaw County Jail on a $100,000 cash or surety bond until February, when Judge Melinda Morris lowered his bond to $50,000 right to post 10 percent. He bonded out of jail in late February after paying $5,000.
Jackson is currently lodged at the county jail awaiting arraignment on the warrant for failing to appear in court for sentencing. Ypsilanti police will request there be no bond at that time. A new sentencing date is expected to be set soon.
View Washtenaw County Crime Reports in a larger map
John Counts covers cops and courts for AnnArbor.com. He can be reached at johncounts@annarbor.com or you can follow him on Twitter.
Comments
Animal Lover
Thu, Aug 9, 2012 : 11:03 p.m.
Cute! Just cute! Facetious!
MyCommentNow
Thu, Aug 9, 2012 : 1:21 a.m.
How did this young man's parents teach him?
leaguebus
Wed, Aug 8, 2012 : 8:33 p.m.
It didn't say that his friends at the house were arrested for aiding and abetting?
Jeanette
Wed, Aug 8, 2012 : 5:33 p.m.
I believe Judge Morris is retiring and will soon be gone.
EyeHeartA2
Wed, Aug 8, 2012 : 9:59 p.m.
Not soon enough.
nickcarraweigh
Wed, Aug 8, 2012 : 5:25 p.m.
Who paid the $5,000 to get him out of jail back in February?
TinyArtist
Sat, Aug 11, 2012 : 2:56 p.m.
He used the cash he was originally going to fork over for those high end sunglasses.
Jack Campbell
Wed, Aug 8, 2012 : 4:37 p.m.
I am so surprised that it was Judge Morris that lowered the bail on this extremely violent criminal. She is a hazard to the health of Washtenaw county.
rs
Wed, Aug 8, 2012 : 2:56 p.m.
They might as well replace Morris with a credit card terminal. Just bring the defendant in, let them swipe a debit card and turn them back loose on the street.
stevek
Wed, Aug 8, 2012 : 2:52 p.m.
So the police found a criminal hiding in the Macarthur Blvd area. Duh...
observer
Wed, Aug 8, 2012 : 1:58 p.m.
This should not have happened in the first place .....Morris put the police and public in jeopardy when he had to be arrested again.....with the bevy of charges, how could his bond have been reduced.....
slave2work
Wed, Aug 8, 2012 : 2:43 p.m.
AMEN!!! Already a felon so morris says.." oh he's gonna be a good boy, cuz I said so".. can this judge get any worse?.. OK, don't answer that.. because it might come true.
Dirtgrain
Wed, Aug 8, 2012 : 11:59 a.m.
I would hate to be first guy to peak into the attic, not knowing if he was armed.
Elaine F. Owsley
Wed, Aug 8, 2012 : 11 a.m.
Here is yet another use for the chips like they put under the skin of dogs and cats that carry their identity information. If criminals like this were "chipped" with a GPS device, they could be tracked easily. Such a device would be helpful with those folks who, for one reason or another, tend to wander and get lost - the elderly, mental health cases, or even small children. Quick, painless and just a tiny, tiny little chip to get big results.
dirty irish
Wed, Aug 8, 2012 : 10:46 a.m.
maybe off subject, but the grammer and sentance structure in this article make it virtually unreadable.
smokeblwr
Wed, Aug 8, 2012 : 3:27 p.m.
Dirty Irish
EyeHeartA2
Wed, Aug 8, 2012 : 1:26 p.m.
Capital "M" for "maybe".
RunsWithScissors
Wed, Aug 8, 2012 : 12:47 p.m.
Sentence.
Dirtgrain
Wed, Aug 8, 2012 : 11:57 a.m.
Grammar.
motorcycleminer
Wed, Aug 8, 2012 : 8:39 a.m.
Morris again..." lowers the bond "...duh time for some " real judges " not social reformers
Butter nuts
Wed, Aug 8, 2012 : 6:11 a.m.
Itchy situation.
Superior Twp voter
Wed, Aug 8, 2012 : 3:20 a.m.
Over stealing a pair of sunglasses? Really? Nice hair. The plea deal should be nixed due to no-show for disposition. Take him right to trial and upon finding of guilty, sentence him appropriately.
YpsiVeteran
Wed, Aug 8, 2012 : 3:27 a.m.
Won't happen, unfortunately, because he was already tried and convicted under the original deal. Maybe they'll charge him with something new, then throw away the key.
YpsiVeteran
Wed, Aug 8, 2012 : 3:25 a.m.
Agreed. He skipped on a deal that would have dismissed several major felonies, including armed robbery and felon in possession of a firearm, so that deal should be off the table. Convict him on all of it and throw away the key.
YpsiVeteran
Wed, Aug 8, 2012 : 3:12 a.m.
I wonder if YPD detective JOE Yuhas knows there's some guy named "Joel" running around using his last name...
genetracy
Wed, Aug 8, 2012 : 1:57 a.m.
I am clairvoyant. As soon as I saw the headline to this article, I thought, "I bet he was in Melinda Morris' courtroom". Well surprise, surprise. The guy tried to kill another over a pair of sunglasses, and the good judge felt he was not a flight risk and lowered his bond. Morris needs to be impeached.
Ron Granger
Wed, Aug 8, 2012 : 1:42 a.m.
Let's hope that "nice" judge doesn't allow him to bail out again.
Craig Lounsbury
Wed, Aug 8, 2012 : 1:41 a.m.
I bet it was hot up there.
Fatkitty
Wed, Aug 8, 2012 : 2:19 p.m.
Where he's headed, it's going to be a lot hotter.
Michigan Man
Wed, Aug 8, 2012 : 12:44 a.m.
The dude looks pissed off about getting busted!
smokeblwr
Wed, Aug 8, 2012 : 12:35 a.m.
I like the photo. The insulation is still stuck in his hair.
DNB
Wed, Aug 8, 2012 : 1:05 a.m.
Me too, I hope he gets to enjoy the insulation itchy for awhile in his jail cell.
jim
Wed, Aug 8, 2012 : 12:19 a.m.
Glad he's been caught, but not sure hiding in the attic rises to the level of "felonious resisting."
genetracy
Wed, Aug 8, 2012 : 1:57 a.m.
I am sure Judge Morris will agree with you.
Billy Bob Schwartz
Wed, Aug 8, 2012 : 12:14 a.m.
Congrats to the Ypsi police and the person who made the phone call! This guy is allegedly very dangerous, and it's good to see him go. BTW, what's the matter with these Judge Morris, who gave someone accused of such serious crimes low bail? Big surprise that the guy didn't show up.
nowayjose
Tue, Aug 7, 2012 : 11:56 p.m.
Good riddance. Have fun in prison