DETROIT (WXYZ) — After a mother in Orion Township was shot and carjacked last week, Detroit police are now investigating whether the suspect in that case is tied to a similar case in Detroit.
Watch Whitney Burney's video report:
37-year-old Orgelis Cedeno is back home, still recovering after he was shot in the face while at a gas station near Woodward back in April.
PREVIOUS REPORT: Wyandotte man shot in the face during carjacking, suspect on the run
Through an interpreter, his wife, Derlyn Hernandez, tells 7 News Detroit he has a long road ahead.
"He’s not a 100%. He still has a long way to go. He speaks very little. He can’t open his mouth," said Hernandez.
Hernandez says her husband was on the way home from work at the time of the shooting and carjacking. She was on a FaceTime call with him when he was shot.
"It was a horrible night to see him with all the blood on him," Hernandez said through the interpreter. "He was passing out, and recently, when they talked about the incident, her husband said that he couldn’t hear her at all because his ears had exploded. That’s how she put it."
Just last week, a mother in Orion Twp. was the victim of a similar crime. The woman, who investigators say is in her 40s, was shot in the hip and carjacked while at a shopping center near Baldwin and I-75 with her 11-year-old son. The suspect in that case was identified as 25-year-old Mauriel Hearn of Ann Arbor. He faced a judge for an arraignment on Friday.
PREVIOUS REPORT: Suspect charged in connection with Orion Township shooting & carjacking
Investigators say Hearn led them on a high-speed chase and then crashed in Groveland Township, where he was taken into custody. Hearn is now facing eight charges in the Orion Township case, including carjacking, assault with intent to murder, and fleeing a police officer.
7 News Detroit is also told Hearn was on probation at the time of this arrest for a case out of Washtenaw County, where he was accused of hog-tying a woman, suffocating, and assaulting her. Hearn was convicted after he entered a guilty plea in that case.
Hernandez says her husband recognized the suspect after seeing Hearn in a 7 News Detroit report.
"Her husband said when he saw that video, he knew it was definitely him because when it happened at the gas station, and the man approached him, he thought he was going to ask him for money, and he remembers him when he saw the video," Hernandez explained through the interpreter.
She says Detroit Police recently reached out to her family, saying they have a person of interest in this case. However, they have yet to go to the station and identify Hearn as the shooter in the case.
In a statement, the ATF says there are ties between the Orion Township case and a previous Detroit carjacking, but could not confirm the exact case.
Regarding the Lake Orion carjacking investigation, the ATF Detroit Field Division had personnel standing by to assist with the physical search and recovery of evidence. Ultimately, that assistance was not required.
At the recommendation of the ATF Detroit Field Division, the Oakland County Sheriff’s Office (OCSO) entered the recovered fired cartridge casing into the National Integrated Ballistic Information Network (NIBIN). Following the submission, investigators developed additional investigative leads connected to a prior Detroit Police Department (DPD) case involving a carjacking and non-fatal shooting.
Working in coordination with local partner agencies, additional investigative steps and search warrants were conducted, resulting in the recovery of additional evidence. The investigation remains active and ongoing.
Tuesday Detroit police said evidence suggests the cases are connected and they are investigating. DPD says they plan to submit their findings to the Wayne County Prosecutor’s Office.
As Cedeno prepares for two additional surgeries, his wife is looking toward justice.
"She says it's about time that they caught him because he’s been doing all these crimes, and they’re pretty relieved and happy that he’s been caught. That way, he doesn’t do this to other people," she said through the interpreter.
The Hernandez-Cedeno family says this incident has turned their lives upside down, and they are still struggling financially. A GoFundMe has been set up to support the family and care for their 3-year-old daughter during this time.
After entering Not Guilty pleas, Hearn was denied bond in the Orion Township case. He’s due back in court on June 2. It’s unclear if or when he may face charges in the Detroit carjacking case.
