Man Shot By Norco Store Owner Makes First Court Appearance

RIVERSIDE (CNS) – A man who allegedly tried to rob a Norco liquor store but was shot by the owner made his initial court appearance Monday after recovering from his wound.

Rasheed DaShawn Lee Belvin, 23, of Los Angeles was allegedly involved with the holdup at the store with three other suspects when he was shot in the left arm. It happened last month at Norco Market & Liquor at 816 Sixth St.

Belvin is charged with attempted robbery, conspiracy, elder abuse, firearm assault, possession of a loaded stolen firearm, possession of an assault weapon, two counts of receiving stolen property and sentence-enhancing allegations of using a gun during a felony and victimizing a person over 65 years old.

He was medically cleared to appear before Riverside County Superior Court Judge Sean Crandell, who appointed him an attorney and scheduled his arraignment for Aug. 22 at the Riverside Hall of Justice. The judge ordered Belvin held in lieu of $500,000 bail at the Smith Correctional Facility in Banning.

Belvin’s co-defendants — Davon Anthony Broadus, 24, of Inglewood, Justin Kyle Johnson, 22, of Inglewood, and Jamar Elijah Williams, 26, of Las Vegas — were arraigned earlier this month on charges of attempted robbery, elder abuse, possession of a stolen firearm and sentence-enhancing allegations of using a gun during a felony and victimizing a person over 65 years old.

They’re slated to appear on the same date as Belvin for a joint felony settlement conference. Each defendant is being held on $500,000 bail — Broadus at the Smith Correctional Facility in Banning, Johnson at the Robert Presley Jail in Riverside and Williams at the Byrd Detention Center in Murrieta.

According to sheriff’s Capt. Mike Koehler, shortly before 3 a.m. on July 31, the four alleged would-be robbers pulled into the parking lot of Norco Market & Liquor, exiting a BMW SUV holding rifles.

"These suspects approached the business entrance … wearing facial coverings and hoods," Koehler said. "Immediately upon entering the business, with the rifles pointed at the ready, an employee inside the business fired a single shot from a shotgun, causing the suspects to flee."

The store owner, 80-year-old James Craig Cope, told one newspaper that he had "a long gun pointed directly at me," referring to Belvin allegedly shouldering an AR-15.

"It was either him or me, and I was a little bit faster," Cope said.

The wounded would-be robber fled the establishment, screaming, "He shot my arm off!"

Prosecutors alleged the foursome went to Placentia-Linda Hospital in Orange County, where Belvin sought medical treatment.

Placentia police officers were alerted because a gun was involved in the patient’s injury, and they discovered Broadus, Johnson and Williams in the SUV, parked outside the hospital, according to the District Attorney’s Office.

The three men, who were not injured, were taken into custody without incident after it was confirmed the BMW had been reported stolen, police said.

"The vehicle was found to contain numerous stolen firearms," Koehler said.

The defendants were turned over to Riverside County sheriff’s deputies.

Koehler said that further investigation, relying on security surveillance video from the store, confirmed Cope had opened fire in self defense. He was not injured.

The defendants have no documented prior felony convictions in Riverside County.

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