19-year-old pleads not guilty to charges in Lakewood home invasion; bail set at $3 million

TACOMA -- A 19-year-old pleaded not guilty Thursday to manslaughter, kidnapping and other charges stemming from a Lakewood home invasion in which a couple in their 60s were hit and tied up before the husband got loose, freed his wife and shot one of the intruders.

Bail was set in Pierce County Superior Court at $3 million for Duprea Romon Wilson, an alleged Seattle gang member.

He is charged with first-degree manslaughter, first-degree assault (2 counts), first-degree kidnapping (2 counts) and second-degree assault (3 counts) -- all firearm enhanced.

The home invasion took place late Tuesday night, when three male intruders dressed in black knocked on the door and then forced their way into a home of a 62-year-old man and his 66-year-old wife in the 11000 block of Briar Road SW.

According to court documents, the man said he was struck in the head twice with what was believed to be a handgun and then felt the barrel of a gun being shoved into the back of his neck as he was forced to the ground.

Stitches were later required to close his head injury.

One of the intruders kicked his way into the locked bathroom, where the man's wife had been taking a bath. She said the intruder had a knife and cut her hand as she was trying to defend herself. She was then dragged out, nude, and her and her husband were tied up with electrical cords in the living room, they said.

The wife said the intruders were demanding money, gold, 'weed' and jewelry. The assailants ransacked the house and, as they walked out the front door to load up their getaway car, the husband was able to free himself, lock the front door, free his wife and flee into the bedroom as the intruders forced their way back into the house.

The assailants were trying to get into the bedroom, but the husband had retrieved his handgun from his lock box and warned them not to come in. But two of the assailants forced the door open and he opened fire, he told police.

See our earlier story on this incident >>> 'Don't come in or you will be shot!' man tells home invaders.

The three assailants then fled.

The body of one of the alleged assailants, Taijon Voorhees, was later found in a apartment parking lot in Federal Way. Voorhees had two gunshot wounds, one to his lower stomach area and one lower. He had been hit by the shots fired by the Lakewood homeowner.

Police said an informant who had contact with Wilson after Voorhees' body was discovered said Wilson reported they had been erroneously told by Lakewood gangsters that they would find marijuana and money at the Lakewood homeowner's house.

According to the informant, Wilson said he had dumped Voorhees' body in Federal Way and called 911 to report a shooting there, so that medical help might arrive.

According to court documents, Wilson is "a well-known member of a Seattle street gang known as 'Down with the Crew' (which is a set of Black Gangster Disciples)." It said Voorhees was a well-known "Valleyhood Piru" blood gang member, also from Seattle.

Wilson, a felon, was most recently released from prison last month -- on Oct. 15 -- for a burglary conviction.