Peoria man pleads not guilty in fatal shooting of 10-year-old boy

PEORIA, Ill. (WMBD) — A man accused of shooting a 10-year-old in the aftermath of a botched drug deal pleaded not guilty during a brief hearing Thursday morning.

Maurice D. Sargent, 33, was arrested shortly after the Sept. 29 death of Torres Lamar Johnson, II, who was shot in the parking lot of the Cityscape Apartments.

He faces charges of first-degree murder and also being an armed habitual criminal.

Two arrested in connection with the death of 10-year-olds

Chief Peoria County Circuit Judge Katherine Gorman said on Dec. 9 trial date as well.

That’s not likely to happen, however. It’s possible but not probable he will go before a judge that quickly given the amount of evidence his attorneys would have to sift through as well as scheduling conflicts with the holidays.

However, Peoria County does set such dates to comply with the state’s Speedy Trial Act as well as to keep the case from being lost among the hundreds of others that are pending.

The shooting occurred at the apartment complex, which is in the 600 block of West Romeo B. Garrett Avenue, an area just south of Downtown Peoria. The boy was in the parking lot of the complex when he was shot just after 7:30 pm

Peoria police have been very tight-lipped about the shooting, refusing to give any details or information regarding the young boy’s death.

Johnson’s death, the city’s 17th homicide of the year, shocked many in the city and renewed calls for programs to curb violence on the streets.

If convicted, he faces up to 100 years behind bars. That’s more than a “typical” murder due to the age of the child.

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