MOBILE, Ala. (WKRG) — A Mobile County judge grants the district attorney’s request to hold Darrius Rowser without bond under Aniah’s Law.
Rowser, 19, is accused of three separate shootings in Mobile during a two-month time period.
Rowser was arrested on January 3rd after a police chase in Prichard. Police say he was wanted for the shooting at the Walmart on the I-65 Service Road just after Christmas, a home invasion and burglary on Dukes Avenue in December, and the shooting at the Paparazzi Nightclub in November.
Rowser is facing 14 different charges including attempted murder, burglary and assault.
It was a long hearing, lasting nearly four hours. A Mobile police detective testified about all three Mobile cases.
On November 26th, four people were shot at the Paparazzi nightclub on Dauphin Street. Two people were arrested for the crime, John McCarroll and Rowser. The detective testified in the courtroom McCarroll and Roswer can be seen on surveillance video inside Paparazzi going into a bathroom together moments before the shooting. The detective testified Rowser and McCarroll can be seen on surveillance video running out the back door and getting into a car together after the shooting.
During the court hearing, the detective testified Karmelo Derks, who is a co-defendant with Rowser in the Walmart shooting, told detectives that a man known as “Juvie,” who was identified by the detective as McCarroll, “pays Rowser to do shootings.”
Bullet casings were found inside Paparazzi Nightclub. The detective testified those casings matched another crime connected to Rowser.
The detective explained .45 caliber casings were found at Paparazzi Nightclub and at Dukes Avenue after the burglary there. The detective says twin brothers were inside their home on Dukes Avenue, one playing on his PlayStation 5 when he heard a knock on the door. One brother went to open the door, when the detective said three people forced their way inside, and started shooting. Shots were fired at both brothers, but neither were hit.
The detective says the brothers did not know who the suspects were.
The detective testified a PlayStation 5 stolen out of the home on Dukes Avenue was found in Rowser’s room after his arrest. An iPhone also stolen from Dukes Avenue was found in the car involved in the chase, according to the detective’s testimony.
The detective said after Rowser’s arrest, Rowser allegedly called an acquaintance from Mobile Metro Jail and told him to get his guns. Police found five guns with the acquaintance. The detective testified one of those guns they found was a .45 caliber Glock handgun, with a Glock switch, which is a small part that converts a semi-automatic gun to a fully automatic.
When Rowser was arrested, the detective testified he had a magazine with .45 caliber cartridges on him.
The Mobile police detective testified there is plenty of surveillance video and witnesses for each of those crimes, but admitted you don’t clearly see his face in the Paparazzi Nightclub shooting. The detective also said the witnesses in the Paparazzi Nightclub shooting and the burglary could not identify Rowser.
The judge, after hearing hours of testimony, reviewed all the evidence himself for nearly an hour. Before ultimately stating his concern that the defendant should not be released due to the nature and seriousness of these crimes. And denied bond for his burglary charge.
The judge did set bonds for the other charges, totaling $279,000. He also bound the cases over to the Grand Jury.
“We think it keeps Mobile safer,” said Keith Blackwood, the Mobile County District Attorney. “That’s why we filed for this Aniah’s [Law] hold. It was a very lengthy hearing and you know we’re pleased that he granted the detention hold in the burglary case and you know gave the very high bonds that he did in all the other cases.”
“I just don’t want the courts to start running away with, you know, setting no bonds on cases based on Aniah’s Law,” said Mike Kaui, the defendant’s lawyer. “This is a burglary case. Bonds are set every single day in this building on burglary first cases bonds are set every day.”
Rowser is also accused of a September murder in D’Iberville, Mississippi. 18-year-old Derks is also accused of this murder. As mentioned earlier, Derks is also a suspect in the shooting at the Walmart on the I-65 service road.
It is unclear when Rowser would appear in Mississippi to face the murder charge.
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