ST. LOUIS COUNTY — A ºüÀêÊÓƵ County man faces multiple felony charges after police say he shot a toddler while robbing the toddler’s father.
Deshaun Harlan, 24, was shooting at the man May 9 when a bullet went through the man’s car and hit his 2-year-old son, according to charging documents.
Harlan was on parole for a previous felony robbery conviction in 2018 at the time of the shooting, police say.
Harlan had met his robbery victim three days earlier, when the man dropped off a food delivery order to an address in the 1900 block of Chambers Road, in unincorporated ºüÀêÊÓƵ County, according to a probable cause document.
While there, the man discussed selling marijuana to Harlan, charges say. The two men exchanged phone numbers and arranged to meet again on May 9.
Harlan texted the man that he wanted to exchange a gun for the marijuana instead of buying it, and texted him a photo of a black AR-15 with a distinct blue and yellow cartridge, charges say.
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But when the two men met up outside a home in the 9800 block of Winkler Drive, in unincorporated north ºüÀêÊÓƵ County, Harlan pointed the gun at the man’s head and ordered him to hand over the marijuana, charges say.
The robbery victim then picked up his wife and children in his vehicle before receiving another food delivery order to the same address on Chambers where he had met Harlan, charges say. He went to make the delivery and parked his car, with his wife and children inside, in an alley near the home.
But when he went to the door, Harlan started shooting at him with the AR-15, charges say. Several shots hit the car, blowing out the windshield, and one bullet hit the man’s son.
The man was able to drive away and call police about 7 p.m. His toddler was taken to a hospital for treatment.
The man gave his phone to officers, who used it to track a phone number Harlan had been using and obtain search warrants for the phone number and the address on Chambers.
The phone number belonged to Harlan’s girlfriend. The two lived at the address on Chambers, charges say.
Police searched the home and found the same gun Harlan had texted pictures of to the robbery victim days earlier. The six shots Harlan fired May 9 were also recorded on ShotSpotter technology nearby, police said.
Harlan was charged May 11 with first-degree robbery, two counts of first-degree assault, three counts of armed criminal action and two counts of unlawful possession of a firearm.
He was on parole for a 10-year prison sentence in 2019 after pleading guilty to second-degree robbery. Harlan had also pleaded guilty in 2017 to misdemeanor counts of tampering with a motor vehicle and resisting arrest by an officer.
Harlan was being held in custody Tuesday with a $500,000 bond.