An Akron woman is accused of lying to police about taking a photo on her phone of a dead man’s body following a shooting last month in a strip club where she works.
Martina Mitchell, 20, of Rentar Lane, was charged Sunday with misdemeanor counts of obstructing official business, failure to disclose personal information and disorderly conduct.
Mitchell, who works at Centerfolds, 1305 E. Archwood Ave., told police she was in the restroom when Jerry Stallings, 32, was shot and killed. But detectives said they obtained a copy of the bar’s surveillance videos, which show Mitchell within 10 feet of Stallings when he was shot.
The video shows Mitchell then standing over the body and taking a picture with her phone, police said.
Mitchell is not a suspect in the shooting, police said. She could not be reached for comment on Monday.
The alleged shooter, Daymond Hooks, was arrested last week in North Carolina, where police received a tip about his whereabouts.
According to police, Hooks and Stallings got into an argument and fistfight at the club shortly after midnight on Nov. 17. After spectators broke up the fight, police reported Hooks left the bar with friends and returned several minutes later with a gun.
Police said he killed Stallings with a gunshot to the chest and then fled the scene.
Hooks, 29, of Akron, faces charges of murder and felonious assault.
Another man, Phillip Key, 32, was falsely accused of complicity to commit murder in the case and was later released. Still, Key spent 10 days in jail after investigators cleared his name because no one alerted the jail after his charges were dropped.
Hooks has a criminal history dating back to 2005, according to court records. He’s faced charges including criminal damaging, trespassing and domestic violence.
Nick Glunt can be reached at 330-996-3565 or nglunt@thebeaconjournal.com. Follow him on Twitter @NickGluntABJ.