Two Kent men, ages 19 and 18, each pleaded not guilty to first-degree murder in the Oct. 25 shooting of a man at a Federal Way auto parts store.
Jonathan Montejano, 19, and Alhusaine Drammeh, 18, entered their pleas Monday, Nov. 27 in King County Superior Court at the Maleng Regional Justice Center in Kent. Both are scheduled to return to court Dec. 11 when attorneys are expected to request more time to prepare the case, according to court documents.
Drammeh remained in the King County Correctional Facility in Seattle with a no bail hold. Montejano remained in the Maleng Regional Justice Center with bail set at $5 million, according to jail records.
The crime of first-degree murder carries a maximum punishment of life in prison, according to charging documents.
Drammeh and Montejano are accused of shooting Robert E. Blowe III, 26, at about 8:50 p.m. Oct. 25 in the O’Reilly Auto Parts store parking lot, 32411 Pacific Highway S. Blowe died from a gunshot wound to his chest, according to the King County Medical Examiner’s Office.
Drammeh reportedly told detectives they liked the look of the maroon Dodge Charger driven by Blowe so they followed him to the auto parts store. The two reportedly shot Blowe during an attempted carjacking after Blowe pulled out a gun when the men asked him to get out of his car, according to court documents.
In addition to the murder charge, Montejano faces charges for multiple carjacking robberies in Kent and Federal Way and burglary of a King County gun store. Drammeh has been charged with burglary in two home invasions in Kent.
Kent Police arrested the two men in connection with those cases and notified Federal Way Police about the potential ties to the killing of Blowe. Both men pleaded not guilty to the earlier charges against them for burglary and robbery.
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