2nd suspect arrested following fatal shootout at Port Arthur Church’s Chicken
Published 12:38 am Wednesday, October 13, 2021
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The Port Arthur Police Department announced Tuesday night that Jefferson County Sheriff’s Office deputies made an arrest four days earlier of a suspected armed robber shot multiple times during a fatal exchange of gunfire at a local fast food restaurant.
According to the PAPD, warrant division deputies took 33-year-old Desmond Ingram Jr. into custody Oct. 8.
Police identified Ingram as a suspect in the armed robbery Oct. 1 of Church’s Chicken, located at 1849 Jefferson Drive.
“During this robbery, Ingram was shot multiple times and was hospitalized for the injuries he received during the commission of the crime,” a PAPD release stated. “After he was medically released, Ingram was transported to the Jefferson County Correctional Facility, where he was booked in for aggravated robbery. Ingram is being held on a $500,000 bond.”
Ingram, a Port Arthur resident, also has a U.S. Marshal’s hold, but details on this were not available at press time.
News of Ingram’s arrest sheds light on more specifics associated with the shootout that police said included two armed men attempting to the rob the restaurant, only to be surprised by a barrage of gunfire directed at them from a Church’s Chicken customer.
Police have now publicly identified the suspected assailants as Ingram and Richardo Guient, 33.
According to Det. Mike Hebert, investigation also revealed that the two would-be robbers were joined by a getaway driver, who police identified as Justin Cunningham, 40.
Cunningham is a resident of Nederland.
Police said Ingram and Guient fled the restaurant, each with gunshot wounds, following the initial encounter.
Authorities have not indicated if Ingram and Guient left with Cunningham.
Police previously told Port Arthur Newsmedia that Ingram and Guient were later located by police officers and brought to the hospital by EMS.
Guient was pronounced deceased by hospital personnel, and Ingram was treated by emergency room staff.
The citizen who intervened remained on scene and was released after being interviewed by detectives.
According to Hebert, investigation revealed the driver of the getaway vehicle in the Church’s Chicken robbery was stopped by Nederland Police on a traffic stop a short time later and arrested for an outstanding felony warrant issued from Hardin County.
Cunningham remains in the Hardin County Jail on the felony warrant for a charge of burglary in that county with bond set at $25,000.