Clarksburg City Councilman Jim Malfregeot, who was shot during a Sunday evening carjacking in from of his East Main Street home, is in critical condition, according to Mayor Ryan Kennedy.

 

Malfregeot is at J.W. Ruby Memorial Hospital in Morgantown after having surgery. Clarksburg Police Chief Mark Kiddy said there is a possibility Malfregeot will undergo a second surgery today or tomorrow. Kiddy added that although critical, Malfregeot was in stable condition.

 

The incident took place just after 7 p.m. Sunday. Antonio DeJesus, a 32-year-old from Wilmington, Delaware, wanted by U.S. Marshals for violations stemming from officials in Delaware, approached Malfregeot’s wife’s car as she was leaving the residence. She had her mother with her at the time, taking her home, when DeJesus went on the attack.

 

“Councilman Malfregeot heard the screams of his wife and mother-in-law and attempted to stop the individual,” said Kennedy. “In doing so, Councilman Malfregeot was shot once in the abdomen. He forced Councilman Malfregeot’s wife and mother-in-law to drive from the scene.”

 

Kiddy said the suspect used a small caliber handgun in the shooting.

 

Eventually, the two women were let out of the vehicle on Crooked Run Road in Harrison County. They were not physically injured in any serious manner, according to Kiddy.

 

“Other than emotional distress they went through and some scrapes and bruising from leaving the vehicle,” said Kiddy when asked of their condition.

 

DeJesus then proceeded to Interstate 79 where he was traveling north in the southbound lane, said Kennedy. Eventually, he ended up in the Blackbear Express parking lot in Bridgeport just off I-79. After that, the Bridgeport Police and Harrison County Sheriff’s Department arrested DeJesus.

 

DeJesus has been charged with malicious wounding and first-degree robbery. Additional charges, perhaps kidnapping, are pending. He is in the North Central Regional Jail in Doddridge County.

 

“Mr. DeJesus was here on federal supervised release on drug charges and is in violation for failure to report,” said Kennedy, who thanks the various emergency service agencies involved and the community for calls to 911 providing information that was critical.

 

The call started as a suspicious person, according to Kiddy. He believes DeJesus was trying to flee the scene from the area of Hardee’s when Malfregeot’s wife was leaving. He said the timing of DeJesus leaving Hardee’s and the Malfregeot vehicle leaving their driveway was simply an “opportunity.”

 

“(DeJesus) traveled that direction and just happened to meet the vehicle as it was coming out of the driveway,” said Kiddy.

 

He said nothing indicates any connection to Malfregeot serving on Council, confirming it was a random act.

 

“There’s no connection …,” said Kiddy.

 

As for the state of mind of DeJesus, it is unclear. Kiddy said DeJesus did not speak to officers as to why he carjacked the vehicle, and that whether DeJesus was under the influence remains under investigation. Kiddy, who said DeJesus had been in trouble before in the area, said police were not aware of the presence of the wanted individual locally.

 

“We didn’t have any information of him being in the area,” said Kiddy.

 

When arrested, law enforcement likely was able to get a quick read on him. Kiddy said he was indicted several years ago on drug charges after an investigation by the Harrison County Drug Task Force.

 

“He was recently in Wilmington, Delaware, released on supervised release from that area to come back here, I believe, to a family member in the area,” said Kiddy. “U.S. Marshals issued a warrant last Friday (Sept. 11) for his arrest for failure to appear in this area.”

 

Chief Deputy US Marshall Terry Moore said DeJesus was arrested in July of this year. He was held in jail, he said, for approximately 32 days.

 

“He was released in August back to his supervised release, and then violated it,” said Moore, of the case that was in Delaware.

 

Click HERE to read story from late Sunday night.

 

Editor's Note: Top photo shows Clarksburg Police Chief Mark Kiddy, while U.S. Chief Deputy Terry Moore is shown in the second photo. The third photo shows the local and state media gathered for the press conference, while Antonio DeJesus is shown in his jail mug shot below. Top photo and Cover Photo by Ben Queen of Ben Queen Photography.