Lorenzo Dean Fisher,Jones and Nadeau

According to the criminal complaints, two vehicles pulled up to a residence at 16467 Nay Ah Shing Drive, north of Onamia on Saturday, Dec. 15. One was a red Monte Carlo, the other a black Cadillac.
Deputies with the Mille Lacs County Sheriff’s Office arrived on the scene at approximately 9:15 p.m. Witnesses said Mervel George Jones III, 19, was in the Monte Carlo and was shooting a long gun at the home and at a vehicle in the driveway. Cortney Allen Nadeau, 23, was in the Cadillac and was allegedly shooting at the home.
The two vehicles then left northbound on Virgo Road.
Upon arrival at the home, authorities found several shotgun shell cartridges on the ground in front of the home and saw that two south windows had been broken.
The 16-year-old had several small holes in his upper right arm and chest. However, the victim was uncooperative and aggressive, the complaint stated, and authorities had to transport him to the hospital in handcuffs.
The victim’s 16-year-old sister told a deputy that they had laid on the floor after the shooting started so they would not be hit. She also told police the two suspects had been shooting at the home on and off since 8 o’clock that morning.
She also told police that there were four people in each vehicle, but that Jones and Nadeau were the shooters.
Ronald Eugene Smith, 24, was present in the home and was yelling at everyone to not talk to police. The report said he was calling them, “niggers.”
Smith was placed on a Department of Corrections hold because he was consuming alcohol, a violation of his probation. His blood alcohol content was .245 percent.
According to the complaint, once Smith was removed, the officers were able to speak more easily with the other witnesses.
The Monte Carlo was located at Nadeau’s residence at 45345 Highway 169.
The Cadillac, which was registered to Nadeau’s mother, was located by a conservation officer in Garrison.
An anonymous phone call informed authorities that the two suspects had left the Cadillac and fled in a tan SUV.
At Nadeau’s residence, investigators found two .22 caliber shells in the porch entry as well as a box of 12 gauge shotgun shells. There were also spent shell casings, including one inside a McDonald’s bag in the garbage, that appeared to match those found at the crime scene on Nay Ah Shing Drive.
On Christmas Day, authorities caught up with Jones and Nadeau around 8:35 p.m.
Officers were dispatched to a residence at 16745 Ojibwe Drive regarding a disturbance. While on the way to the residence, dispatch advised officers that Jones was standing outside Starla Deane’s residence (16766 Ojibwe Drive) and was holding a gun.
Dispatch then notified deputies that Jones had fled on foot.
A deputy spoke with Jaime Lynn Sam who told him that Jones was pointing a gun at Stacy Boyd who was in a vehicle parked in the driveway.
Jones then allegedly began hitting the driver’s window with the gun.
Sam then saw Jones run across to Deane’s residence.
Jones then left Deane’s house and pointed the gun at Sam and at her house. Jones then went back inside Deane’s house and Sam saw Nadeau close the curtains. A few minutes later she saw two people leave the residence.
Janice Sam (Jaime’s mother) said she heard her daughter yelling, looked out the window and saw Jones running with a long gun. She also saw him enter Deane’s residence and then return with the gun and point it at her daughter.
Janice Sam said she then went to her vehicle to move it and she saw Jones in the headlights of her vehicle. When she got out of the vehicle, he pointed the gun at her. She returned to her home and then saw two people leave the Deane residence and run into the woods.
The K-9 team was brought in but another deputy radioed in that he had found Jones and had him in custody.
The officers then found Nadeau in a crawl space in Deane’s house.
Lorenzo Dean Fisher, 18, was also hiding in the crawl space. He originally gave officers a false name.
Fisher was arrested and transported to Cass County on a warrant. He also has a warrant through Hennepin County.
Jones and Nadeau both have criminal records.
Jones was adjudicated for assault in the third degree in March 2004 and for motor vehicle theft in January 2006.
Nadeau has a prior felony conviction for aggravated robbery in the second degree and assault in the second degree in January 2003.
Both were charged with the following: felon in possession of a firearm, which carries a maximum penalty of 15 years in prison and a $30,000 fine; dangerous weapons - drive-by shooting - occupied target, which carries a maximum penalty of five years in prison and/or a $10,000 fine; and dangerous weapons - intentional discharge, which carries a maximum of five years in prison and a $10,000 fine.
Jones was also charged with another felon in possession of a firearm and also a dangerous weapon (residential premises) charge for the Dec. 25 incident.
Unconditional bail has been set at $150,000 for both Jones and Nadeau, with conditional bail at $75,000.

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