Police: Text messages found on man's phone led to his shooting in Middletown

Mar. 6—A Middletown man was shot Wednesday night during an apparent domestic situation, according to police and court records.

The shooting happened about 7:15 p.m. at a residence in the 6800 block of Spring Garden Drive. The victim, William Coleman, who was shot in the chest, was taken to an area hospital for treatment. He is expected to recover.

Jonnette Newsom, 28, was taken into custody and charged with felonious assault and tampering with evidence.

Newsom, who is the mother of Coleman's 11-month-old baby, said she got into an argument with Coleman over text messages she found on his phone, according to court documents signed by Detective Kristi Hughes.

"This argument turned physical and (Newsom) shot Mr. Coleman in the chest," Hughes wrote in the complaint.

According to police, Newsom discarded the gun at an unknown location and said she didn't know were the gun was.

Newsom is being held in the Middletown City Jail. She was arraigned Friday in Middletown Municipal Court, where bond was set at $100,000 with a 10 percent rule. A preliminary hearing was set for March 12.