Giants CB DeAndre Baker turns himself in to police on armed robbery, assault charges
Giants corner DeAndre Baker turned himself in to the Broward County (Fla.) jail on Saturday morning, two days after police were called to an alleged incident that prompted a warrant for Baker’s arrest.
The Miramar Police Department first confirmed for the Daily News that Baker had turned himself in. And Baker’s defense attorney, Bradford Cohen, posted a statement on Instagram praising the police’s cooperation.
“Reports are correct that Deandre turned himself in this morning,” Cohen wrote. “I am a believer in the system and that if everything works the matter will be appropriately resolved. Both my client and I have felt @miramarpd and the Detective working the case, were accommodating and went out of their way to assure Mr Bakers privacy during this hard time. That is not just lip service, it is fact, and we appreciate it.
“This is my 23rd year in practice defending those who I feel are wrongly charged or wrongly treated,” he continued. “That doesn't mean that all police officers are bad or all are good. We all have jobs to do and I believe we all do them to the best of our ability. Police reports are just that, reports of what was told to them or said to them. Court is what we use to then examine those reports, investigate those claims and allow the Defendant an opportunity to confront the evidence. Don't rush to judgement.”
Baker is currently being held without bond due to the severity of the charges. A judge could set a bail amount when Baker makes his first court appearance on Sunday at 8 a.m.
The Miramar police department publicly issued an arrest warrant for Baker, 22, on Thursday for four counts of armed robbery with a firearm and four counts of aggravated assault with a firearm stemming from an incident that allegedly occurred Wednesday night.
The affidavit says Baker was armed with a “semi-automatic firearm.” It also says one of Baker’s accomplices was wearing a red mask and alleges, according to testimony from multiple witnesses, that “Baker directed the assailant in the red mask to shoot [an unnamed person], who was just walking into the party.”
The alleged accomplice did not shoot.
Seattle Seahawks corner Quinton Dunbar also has a warrant out for his arrest connected to the incident for four counts of armed robbery. He had not turned himself in as of Baker’s arrest.
Attorneys for both NFL players have claimed they believe their clients to be innocent and say they have witness testimony to prove it.
Cohen posted on Instagram both Friday night and Saturday morning claiming he believes his client “is innocent of any charges” based on a “trove of evidence” that includes “7 affidavuts (sic)” from “witnesses” who “dispute the allegations.”
Cohen claims his law firm’s “investigator” has had these affidavits from several witnesses “for some time,” although police were only called to the scene of the alleged incident at approximately 12:20 a.m. Thursday, per the affidavit submitted by Detective Mark Moretti.
“Police do not have any additional information at this time,” Miramar Police Department public information officer Tania Rues told the News.
Cohen says the Miramar P.D. “can only base warrants on what was told to them at the time,” so he is accepting that the police based the warrant for Baker’s arrest on the taped, sworn and separate testimonies of four alleged victims and one witness.
The severity of Baker’s charges and the four charges against Dunbar, in fact, carried the recommendation of “no bond,” or bail, listed in the affidavit.
As the Daily News reported on Friday, it was possible Baker had not turned himself in immediately because his attorney was negotiating a bail amount with prosecutors.
And Cohen appeared to confirm that likelihood at the top of his statement, saying: “I want to thank @miramarpd for being professional in regards to surrendering and issues with the case.”
The warrant for Baker’s arrest also mentioned that a person known throughout the residence as “Coach,” identified as Dominick Johnson, said he “has known Deandre Lamar Baker and Quinton Disheen Dunbar since they were children” and that “he saw Baker armed with a handgun” at the party.
Moretti wrote that “Johnson was in contact with Baker” and that Moretti “attempted to talk with Baker via Johnson’s cell phone, but Baker refused to speak with (the detective) and immediately terminated the call.”
The Miami Herald reported Friday afternoon that Dunbar’s attorney, Michael Grieco, said five witnesses had attested Dunbar was not involved. And Grieco also told the Herald he had presented these new affidavits to the Broward State Attorney’s Offices but prosecutors were still requiring Dunbar to turn himself in and be jailed.
In response, however, the police spokesperson told the News: "We have taped statements, sworn statements from each of the victims that were interviewed separately. The affidavit speaks for itself. If the victims have a different story to tell, they have not come to the Miramar police department and given any revised or different statements. If the victims have a different story to tell, they have not come to the police department to give it.”
Cohen has represented other high profile clients in the past including rapper Kodak Black and former Giant Plaxico Burress.
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