Brad Edwards Fields, 28, has been found competent to face murder charges in the death of his girlfriend’s child, Gabby, in a Sumpter Township mobile home on New Year’s Day.
34th District Court Judge Brian Oakley was told the prosecutor and the defense attorney both stipulated to Fields’ competency so the case can move forward. A preliminary exam was set for 8:30 a.m., May 11, before Judge Oakley.
Fields is charged with felony murder, second-degree murder, child abuse, and torture. He is lodged in the Wayne County Jail without bond.
His co-defendant, the child’s mother Candice Renea Diaz, 25, is being held without bond on the same charges. She had been sent for a competency exam, as well.
Santana Brown Guillen
Two criminal sexual conduct charges against Santana Brown Guillen, 17, were dismissed by Judge Oakley on April 11 when the six-year-old victim refused to testify.
The victim and her family had been waiting at court for three hours before it was determined the little girl wouldn’t testify and the Wayne County Assistant Prosecutor asked Judge Oakley to dismiss the charges without prejudice, meaning they could be refiled in the future.
Judge Oakley said the charges were dismissed because there is “no witness who will talk.”
On April 4, Judge David Parrott adjourned Guillen’s preliminary exam until April 11 because his court-appointed defense attorney David Lankford said he just got the discovery information. Lankford said he needed time to study the evidence in order to provide a defense for his client.
The young witness also had waited hours that day to testify, but then the testimony was postponed a week.
Guillen was charged with two counts of criminal sexual conduct-1st degree, with a person under age 13, on July 1, 2017 in Van Buren Township. He was free after posting bond of $50,000/10% and now his bond was to be returned.
Tasha Lee Wiggins
Three felony counts of identity theft against Tasha Lee Wiggins, 20, were dismissed without prejudice when the victim didn’t show up to testify against her at her scheduled preliminary exam on April 11.
Wiggins was charged with the crimes that allegedly occurred on May 27, 2017 in Van Buren Township.
Judge Oakley reminded her that she was still scheduled for a pretrial on May 15 for a separate charge of driving while license suspended in VBT.
Rondell Lowell Cook
The preliminary exam for Rondell Lowell Cook, 29, was set for 1:30 p.m., May 2, on a charge of criminal sexual conduct-third degree (person between the ages of 13 and 15) on Dec. 2 in VBT. Judge Oakley was told there are three witnesses expected to testify. Cook’s court-appointed attorney is Tatanisha Reed.
Cook was present in Judge Oakley’s courtroom by video from St. Clair where he is lodged on another offense.
Rebecca Lynn Fletcher
Rebecca Lynn Fletcher, 43, waived her preliminary exam on charges of operating while intoxicated-third and fleeing police in a vehicle on Jan. 26 in Sumpter Township. She is scheduled to be at the Frank Murphy Hall of Justice in Detroit on April 25 for her arraignment on the information. Fletcher is free on $1,000 personal recognizance bond.
Shauna Simone Taylor
Shauna Simone Taylor, 37, has her preliminary exam set for April 18 on a felony charge of first-degree retail fraud on April 1 in VBT. She is lodged on bond of $50,000/10 %.