Convicted: One of two accused in robbery & shooting at Sixteenth Street Foods reaches plea deal

RACINE (WITI) -- One of two people charged in connection with a December armed robbery and shooting incident at the Sixteenth Street Foods store has reached a plea deal.

22-year-old Maurice Smith of Waterford has reached a plea deal in the case against him.

Smith pleaded guilty to two felony counts of armed robbery as party to a crime on Thursday, June 12th.

A count of attempted first degree intentional homicide, use of a dangerous weapon, as party to a crime was dismissed, but read in.

In addition, a judge amended Smith's cash bond amount to $100,000.

If Smith is to post cash bond, he is ordered to have no contact with the victim in this case, no contact with the co-defendant, and no contact with the victim store.

Smith is one of two charged in connection with an armed robbery and shooting that happened on December 2nd in Racine at the Sixteenth Street Foods store.

A criminal complaint issued against Smith's co-defendant says police were dispatched to the store just after 3:00 p.m. on December 2nd.

Officers made contact with the store's owner, who reported the store had been robbed by two black males wearing hooded sweatshirts, masks and black gloves.

The complaint indicates 17-year-old Damario Redmond, charged as an adult in this case, was armed with a handgun.

The complaint says Redmond ordered a 40-year-old man to the floor and pointed the gun at the store owner's face, and began demanding money. The store's owner told officials he removed the tray from the cash register and placed it on the counter, and Redmond removed cash from the tray, according to the complaint.

That's when the complaint says Redmond began demanding more money, but the store's owner said he had no more.

The complaint says Smith came around the back side of the counter and looked for additional money. The complaint says Smith began taking packages of Newport cigarettes from the display and then went into the storage closet behind the counter and grabbed additional cartons of Newport cigarettes.

The store owner's cell phone was also taken during the incident.

Officials spoke with the 40-year-old man shot in the incident who told officials he was trying to leave the store when the suspects entered. He was ordered to the ground, and Redmond checked his pockets, according to the criminal complaint.

The complaint indicates the man began to get up, when Redmond approached him and ordered him to get back on the floor while pointing the gun at him. Redmond told the man to go lower, but he said he couldn't due to knee problems.

That's when Redmond shot the man in the chest, according to the complaint.

When speaking with officials, the complaint says Redmond told them: "I didn't mean to shoot the guy."

Officials spoke with Smith who admitted to robbing Sixteenth Street Foods with Redmond, according to the criminal complaint.

The suspects were arrested in this case when police received information that a party with a possible gunshot wound to the leg was outside of Twins Food Mart on 16th Street.

The criminal complaint says Redmond shot himself in the leg trying to put his gun back into his pants.

Officers responded to that location and quickly located the injured party (Redmond), who was transported to Wheaton Franciscan for treatment.

Redmond faces several charges in this case.

He is due in court for a status conference on June 16th.

As for Smith, he's set to be sentenced on September 18th. The state is recommending substantial prison time in this case.