Jones

A prosecutor said he doesn't know for sure why Brandon Dante Jones hid his face, broke into his friend's home and shot the man in the chest and hand.

"My only guess is this was the unfortunate result of excessive alcohol use," senior deputy prosecutor Seth Bortner said.

Jurors on Friday found the 30-year-old, known as "Tay," guilty of aggravated assault, burglary and criminal trespass.

Jones, of the 400 block of Salem Avenue, remains in county prison awaiting his April 29 sentencing hearing.

Defense attorney George Marros agreed alcohol likely fueled Jones' attack.

"(The victim) was a friend of his for two or three years. There's no motive to commit the crime, and nothing was taken," Marros said. "My client truly, honestly doesn't remember what happened that night. ... It's unfortunate he did that to a friend of his, and it's a perfect example what alcoholism can do to you."

Jones has ongoing issues with alcohol that include blackouts, his attorney said.

What happened: Testimony revealed shooting victim Julius A. Davis and his fiancee had been at Jones' home playing cards with several couples less than a half-hour before the attack.

Davis, 55, of the 800 block of West Poplar Street, has said that while there, Jones mentioned he had a money problem and needed $200 for a paternity test.

The victim said Jones used to be his next-door neighbor and was like a family member.

About 3:15 a.m. March 17, 2012 -- about 20 minutes after Davis and fiancee Cynthia Baya got home from Jones' place -- there was a knock on the door, Davis said. Baya asked who was there but got no response, so Davis opened the door.

"As soon as I opened the door, boom -- he hit me in the head with a gun," said Davis, who never saw the intruder's face.

Davis said he grabbed the rifle, yelled a warning to his fiancee, then struggled with the attacker, who had a blue bandanna over his face and a sweatshirt hood over his head.

"He kept beating me in the face with the gun," Davis testified. "He aimed straight at my chest and pulled the trigger."

2nd gunshot wound: Davis said after being shot, he grabbed a stool and hit the intruder in the head, but the man shot him a second time, through the hand.

The attacker fled, ditching his gun, gold hooded sweatshirt and blue bandanna outside, according to York City Detective George Ripley.

Baya testified that when Davis yelled to her that the intruder had a gun, she grabbed a phone and ran outside, where she called 911. She said she went back inside after officers arrived.

Jones appeared moments later, she said.

"Tay ... walked right through my front door," she said. "I looked at him and said, 'How did you know what happened?' He said, 'I didn't. I just came to get a movie.'"

Not curious: Baya said Jones had borrowed movies from her before, but never at 3 a.m. Also, she said, he never asked what had happened to Davis or why police were there. After spotting officers, he simply left, she testified.

Ripley testified he interviewed Jones, who admitted the gold sweatshirt and gun were his. The .22-caliber rifle had been reported stolen in Baltimore, Ripley said.

Jones also told detectives that when he awoke hours after the attack, he realized his new white sneakers had blood on them, so he threw them away, Ripley testified.

Gang member? During the interview, Jones said he is a member of the "Hoover set," a subset of the Crips national crime gang, according to Ripley.

Prosecutor Bortner credited Friday's conviction, in part, to Ripley's success at getting Jones to make those incriminating statements. Bortner called the interview "some of the best evidence" he had.

Davis is serving 31 to 65 months in state prison for stabbing a man outside Spanky's Tavern, 834 W. King St., about 12:30 a.m. March 9, 2012.

Davis pleaded guilty to aggravated assault and was sentenced Nov. 20, according to court records.

-- Staff writer Liz Evans Scolforo can also be reached at levans@yorkdispatch.com.