Monroe Dispatch - No Struggle, No Progress

Disclaimer: All persons are presumed innocent until proven guilty. Two individuals who were strongly implicated in a local man's death were arrested on Wednesday, February 7, 2023. Deontia Moore was found dead in the parking lot of the OYO Hotel on Martin Luther King Dr. in Monroe back on November 28, 2022, according to a Monroe Police report. MPD said that the alleged suspects were identified as 17-year-old Ezekiel White and 18-year-old Anthony Sherman, who were on the premises on the day of the shooting carrying AR-15-style rifles. When officers found Moore, he had no shoes on, as his shoes were later discovered inside a hallway within the motel. Before shots were fired, a witness told officers that Moore allegedly told White that he could get "his a** killed f***** with some girl". White, according to police, was in a room at the hotel and was told by Sherman to get his gun, as White grabbed a weapon from under his pillow as Sherman and another individual described as "Tae" left the room.

Gunshots would soon ring out, and as occupants exited their rooms, they discovered Moore's body in the parking lot. During their investigation after obtaining a search warrant, police discovered a Cashapp card in the room with the name "Zeek" on it. Officers also located a video of a white Toyota 4 Runner on Barrington Drive, where three male suspects and a female subject exited the vehicle, according to MPD. The video purposely showed White leaving the vehicle carrying an AR-15 rifle, as another male allegedly was doing the same. More videos of Sherman were seen on Snapchat of him allegedly holding a black firearm in the hotel room. According to a witness, White and Sherman were allegedly observed on Barrington Drive after the shooting. They were allegedly armed when entering the apartment but were met with confusion by the occupants. Officers said that Sherman and White allegedly entered the wrong apartment, as they said both suspects were trying to hide their weapons at a friend's home. Sherman is charged with Second Degree Murder, Aggravated Burglary, and Resisting an Officer. White has been charged with Possession of a Controlled Substance and Resisting an Officer. There is a B.A.L.M. in Monroe, a spiritual solution to a social problem. A B.A.L.M. in Monroe is a collaborative plan that every citizen, elected and appointed official, clergyman, and organization can participate in to help improve the image of Monroe while inspiring at-risk males to take more responsibility for their actions and respect the lives of others. A balanced approach to lower the violent crime and murder rate in Monroe, LA. Praise God for law enforcement! There are three sides to every story. This was one side of this story. The Monroe Dispatch welcomes the other or another side of this story.