Erie police charge two in killing of man in car during attempted robbery

A shooting inside of a vehicle that caused the death of a 24-year-old Erie man on Nov. 20 occurred as the victim and two others attempted to rob a man they picked up, Erie police charge in criminal complaints filed against two people in Erie's latest homicide.

One of the suspects, 21-year-old Millcreek Township resident Anika N. Duran, whom police said admitted to driving the vehicle when the shooting took place, was arraigned late Tuesday afternoon on charges including criminal homicide, second-degree murder and felony robbery.

Erie 3rd Ward District Judge Tom Carney placed Duran in the Erie County Prison without bond following the arraignment.

An arrest warrant was issued for the second suspect and accused shooter, 24-year-old Erie resident Adrian A. Thrower, on charges including homicide, second-degree murder, robbery, aggravated assault and possession of a firearm prohibited.

Thrower remained at large Wednesday morning.

Erie police detectives charged Duran and Thrower in the death of Patel Grogan, who died of a gunshot wound to the head and whose death was ruled a homicide.

Homicide suspected in Erie shooting: Erie police suspect homicide in fatal shooting of 24-year-old man in car

Grogan was pronounced dead on Nov. 21 at 5:15 a.m. at UPMC Hamot, where he was transferred after authorities said he was initially driven by Duran to Saint Vincent Hospital.

According to information in the affidavits filed with the criminal complaints against Duran and Thrower, Duran told investigators she was driving her Chevrolet Equinox with Grogan as a front-seat passenger and with another man she knew as Adrian, whom police later identified as Thrower. Duran said Grogan called a male and placed an order for marijuana, and she stated that Grogan and Thrower planned to rob that person, detectives wrote in the affidavits.

Duran said they picked the male up, and as she drove there was a struggle in the back seat and Grogan told her to pull over, according to the affidavits. She said there was a gunshot fired inside the vehicle and the male fled northbound from the vehicle, and that Grogan was bleeding, according to the affidavits. Detectives wrote that Duran stated she did not see which way the man she knew as Adrian ran from the vehicle.

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Detectives later interviewed the male who had gotten into Duran's vehicle. According to information in the affidavits, the male told police that he met up with and provided marijuana to Grogan and that there was a female driving the vehicle. The male said he left the vehicle but was contacted again by Grogan a short time later and met up with him again, investigators wrote in the affidavits.

The male told police he entered the back seat of the vehicle driven by the female as Grogan was in the front passenger seat. He said as they started driving, a man who was in the rear cargo area of the vehicle grabbed him in a choke hold, put a gun to his head and said, "give me everything," detectives wrote in the affidavits. The male said Grogan turned around and began punching the male in the face and took his wallet, according to the affidavits.

Detectives wrote that the male said he grabbed the gun of the man who had threatened him and bit the man's arm, and as they fought for control of the handgun a gunshot went off. The male said the man with the gun exited the vehicle and fired a second shot before fleeing. He said he was also able to flee the area on foot, according to the affidavits.

Erie police impounded the Chevrolet Equinox after the shooting. Detectives wrote in Thrower's affidavit that they located a wallet and cell phone belonging to the male who was being robbed inside of the vehicle.

Police have recovered the gun that is suspected of being used in the fatal shooting, Erie police Deputy Chief Rick Lorah said Wednesday.

Grogan's death is the 11th homicide in Erie County and the seventh in Erie so far this year.

Anyone with information on the whereabouts of Thrower is asked to call Erie police at 814-870-1120.

Contact Tim Hahn at thahn@timesnews.com. Follow him on Twitter @ETNhahn.

This article originally appeared on Erie Times-News: Erie homicides: Pair charged in fatal shooting of man in vehicle