Montgomery County, PA

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
April 13, 2009

 

 

 

   

   

                  Mardis Hinton, Sr.

          

 

Montgomery County District Attorney Risa Vetri Ferman and Norristown Police Chief Russell J. Bono announce the arrest of Mardis HINTON, Sr. for the stabbing and murder of Christopher Ozuna.

 

On Saturday, April 11, 2009 at approximately 2:00 AM, Norristown Police responded to a report of a stabbing in the 900 block of Swede Street.  Officers found the victim, a Hispanic white male later identified as Christopher Ozuna, age 30, near the sidewalk stabbed multiple times.  The victim was transported to the Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania where he subsequently died from his wounds. 

 

On Saturday, April 11, 2009, Doctor Chase Blanchard, a Forensic Pathologist performed an autopsy on the body of Christopher Ozuna at the Philadelphia Medical Examiners Office. The examination of the body revealed at least eleven (11) stab wounds. Following the examination, Doctor Blanchard opined that Ozuna died due to multiple stab wounds and ruled the death a homicide.

 

Detectives learned from a witness, who was working in the area, that she heard noises coming from the rear porch at 909 Swede Street.  The witness looked out a window and saw a black male and a Hispanic male, later identified as Christopher Ozuna, fighting on the porch at 909 Swede Street. The witness saw a shiny object in the hand of the black male. She then observed the man with the shiny object and a female leave the area.  The witness then noticed that Ozuna was bleeding from his neck and that his shirt was blood covered.

 

On April 11, 2009, Detectives recovered video surveillance from the area.  Examination of the video revealed that Ozuna initially met with a female at 909 Swede Street. Ozuna is seen leaving the area with the female and returning with her.  The female is then observed leaving 909 Swede Street alone and returning a short time later with a black male. Minutes later the female and black male leave the area.

 

In the early morning hours on Sunday, April 12, 2009, Detectives located and interviewed the female in the video. She told investigators that she went to 909 Swede Street in the early morning hours of Saturday, April 11, 2009 to meet a friend. Upon walking onto the rear porch of the residence she was told by a Mexican male, later identified as Ozuna that her friend was sleeping. Ozuna asked the female for a ride to purchase beer and the two drove to Colletti’s Bar in Norristown where Ozuna purchased beer. The two then returned to the rear porch of 909 Swede Street and began drinking beer. The female asked Ozuna for money as payment for the drive to Colletti’s. Ozuna refused to pay her so she returned to her residence. Upon arriving home, she told her friend Mardis HINTON about Ozuna’s refusal to pay her for the ride to Colletti’s.  HINTON told her that he would speak to the Mexican (Ozuna) and ask for her money. She and HINTON then walked to the rear porch at 909 Swede Street where HINTON encountered Ozuna. HINTON repeatedly told Ozuna “just give her, her money”. HINTON and Ozuna then began fighting and she pulled the two men apart. Then, she and HINTON walked from the area towards her residence. The female observed HINTON to be carrying a knife and that he had blood on his body. When she asked HINTON, “Do you have a knife?”  HINTON replied “yes”. She then asked “did you stab him?” HINTON replied “yes”.

 

On Sunday, April 12, 2009, Detectives interviewed Mardis HINTON Sr., who admitted he stabbed a man after attempting to negotiate the payment of $5.00 dollars, which he believed was owed to his former girlfriend. HINTON also said that the knife he used in the stabbing was taken from the scene and stored at his Powell Street home. This knife was recovered by detectives following the execution of a search warrant at HINTON’s home on Sunday April 12, 2009.

 

The defendant was arraigned before Magisterial District Judge Friedenberg, who set the preliminary hearing for April 22, 2009 at 10:00 AM. Assistant District Attorneys Robert Sander and Anthony Gil are assigned to prosecute the case.

 

     Approved for Release:

 

     
     Kevin R. Steele