Court Watching: One of three bound over for Feb. 25 incident at Qdobas in VBT

Tynisha Shanell Lockhart, 38, of Inkster was bound over to circuit court for a July 5 arraignment on the information after a preliminary examination at 34th District Court before Judge Lisa Martin.
The exam had been set for June 21 for the three co-defendants on charges of breaking and entering a building with intent, assault or assault and battery, and malicious destruction of a building between $200 and $1,000 on Feb. 25 at Qdoba restaurant at 10889 Belleville Rd., Van Buren Township.
The three defense attorneys had agreed to try the three co-defendants together, but before the exam began, it was noted that defendant Carmichael Julian Chavis, 24, of Van Buren Township was not present because he was in the Saginaw County Jail and jail officials had not transported him to court.
Sarah Ann Krause, the attorney for Jason Aaron Criss, 20, of Van Buren Township and Chavis’ attorney Kerry Martin decided to ask for an adjournment of their exams to keep the cases together.
Tyron Rucker, defense attorney for Lockhart, the third defendant, said they wished to proceed, so just one exam was held on June 21. The other two defendants will have their joint exam at 1 p.m., Aug. 2, at 34th District Court.
Judge Martin pointed out that Chavis is yet to be arraigned but that can be done before the exam.
The only witness called by Wayne County Assistant Prosecutor Edin Bukva was Chanelle Doughty, who testified that at about 11:30 p.m. on Feb. 25 they had closed the restaurant and she and three others were cleaning up. She stated she was the team leader and working with Chalin, Dominick and Justin when they heard the back doorbell ringing and someone banging on the door. She said when she got there, no one was there. She notified her district manager, she said.
Then, she said, Jason Criss and Carmichael Chavis came in the side door and she didn’t know how they got in. Neither had permission to be there. She said Jason had a BB gun and began shooting at all of them.
“I was the closest, so I got shot the most,” Doughty said, testifying she got shot on her face, body, legs, and “everywhere.”
“I was terrified. These were people that I trusted,” she said. Later she testified that Jason no longer works there and had quit two or three weeks before the incident.
She said Carmichael was throwing food into the lobby and “started destroying the place.”
Then Tynisha Lockhart entered the building without permission “to retrieve” Jason and Carmichael, Doughty testified.
She testified that Lockhart was 20 feet away when she entered and then came about 10 feet from her and said, “I should beat your ass…”
“I didn’t know what to say,” Doughty said. “I was angry, scared, betrayed. She left. I called the cops and got in touch with my district manager.”
Under cross examination, defense attorney Rucker asked if this wasn’t a game with a BB gun that employees play and Doughty said it wasn’t.
She said the three other employees who were with her that night did not return to work after that.
Doughty testified Lockhart did not throw food or utensils. She said there are four to six surveillance cameras in the building.
Rucker argued his client should not be bound over. He said this was not an assault and his client no longer is charged with malicious destruction of property. She did not break and enter with a specific intent, he said. She came in to get the others, made a statement, and left.
Judge Martin said the People met the burden of proof that there was a verbal threat and that the defendant broke and entered with intent and had no authority or reason to be in the building. The intent will be taken up downtown at circuit court, she said.
Personal bond of $2,000 was continued and Lockhart must not return to Qdobas.