Carter v. State

Aldraco Zokenda Carter and Jameel Zaheem Freeman were jointly indicted and tried and both found guilty of hijacking a motor vehicle Count 1, aggravated assault Count 4, two counts of kidnapping Counts 6 and 7, and fleeing from police Count 10. Freeman was also found guilty of driving with a suspended license Count 11, reckless driving Count 12, speeding Count 13, and failure to stop at a traffic control device Count 14. Their separate appeals have been consolidated for consideration in this opinion.

The State presented the following evidence in support of the convictions. Testimony from the victims showed that four masked men in a white van approached Wesley Wicker’s car, a green Pontiac, while the car was parked at Walnut Grove Apartments and was occupied by Wicker, Jonathan Carroll and Patrice Jackson. The four men, who were armed with handguns, forced Wicker, Carroll and Jackson out of the car at gunpoint. The men then took Wicker’s car and drove away—two of the men in the car and two in the van.