Hassan Awels
July 16, 2024 - The Center Police Department has confirmed a shooting incident took place in Pecan Grove on July 11, 2024.
Center Police Officers responded to the scene a couple blocks from the Center Police Department, and were assisted by Shelby County Sheriff’s Department deputies.
In a press release issued by the Center Police Department, it's indicated their Communications Division received a call at 11:24pm, about harassment. While the caller was on the line with the Communications officer, the caller stated that the suspect began shooting at them. The Center Police Department Patrol Division was dispatched to the area of Pecan Grove in the 1300 block of Shelbyville Street.
When Officers arrived on the scene, they found a vehicle that had been struck by gunfire approximately four times. The victims, identified as Ricardo Cervantes and Maria Juarez, were determined not to have been struck by any of the shots.
According to the Center Police Department, Cervantes informed officers he struck another vehicle with his in Pecan Grove when trying to flee after the shooting started.
Just before the officers arrived on scene, the suspects fled the scene, and the Center Police Department confirms the suspects were later identified as Hassan Awels, 21, of Center and Abdulkadi Abu, 48, of Center.
Awels and Abu were both arrested and transported to the Shelby County Jail where they were each booked on charges of aggravated assault with a deadly weapon, felony 2.
The press release goes on to state this was an isolated incident, and no further risk of harm is believed to be present to the public. This remains an active case and no further information is available at this time.
According to the Shelby County Jail log, the charges against Abu were dropped.
