Police recover weapons from home of teen accused of killing pizza deliverer

PORTSMOUTH

Police recovered five weapons, including a sawed-off shotgun and an assault rifle, from the Cavalier Manor home of a teenager charged last week with the murder of a pizza deliveryman.

Police searched Jamal L. Minggia’s home in the 900 block of Bold St. for weapons and for evidence of gang activity, according to a search warrant filed in court this week.

The 18-year-old is in jail on charges of first-degree murder and robbery, along with firearms charges, in the shooting death of Robert Edward Kiesewetter.

A 17-year-old who was not identified because of his age faces the same charges.

Kiesewetter, a 50-year-old Portsmouth man, was killed April 25 while delivering a Papa John’s pizza in the Edgefield apartment complex in Churchland.

The search warrant made no reference to the homicide, but was taken out in connection to Minggia’s alleged involvement in criminal street gang activity. However, it was executed May 1, the same day Minggia was indicted on the murder charge.

According to a police affidavit, Minggia admitted to being a member of a gang called YNIC, a reference to young blacks in charge.

Police have identified more than 25 members of the gang in Portsmouth and have been investigating its activities for more than a year, according to the affidavit, filed by Detective Kenneth Gavin, chairman of the Portsmouth Police Gang Task Force.

The YNIC, Gavin said Wednesday, is a violent group.

Besides the shotgun and assault rifle, police recovered a .22-caliber rifle, a .45-caliber handgun and a 9 mm handgun from Minggia's home. Gavin said police also found gang-related items but would not elaborate.

The affidavit states that Minggia and other gang members have been involved in assaults, picking their victims “seemingly at random.”

The assaults have occurred in the Churchland area, Gavin said. The investigator would not comment on specific cases, but said the YNIC is a Hampton Roads gang affiliated with the Crips.

Members of the gang operate in several neighborhoods throughout Portsmouth and range in age from 13 to 19, he said. “A lot of these kids are getting drawn into it because they want to be cool,” he said. “And they are getting sucked further and further.”

It goes from helping “my buddies beat up this guy today and then the next day it’s something worse,” he said.

“It just snowballs.”

The affidavit details an Oct. 31 assault of a Churchland youth. A few weeks later, on Nov. 19, police arrested Minggia and charged him with unlawful wounding in the case.

According to court records, the 15-year-old victim and a witness identified Minggia and several juveniles as the individuals who punched and kicked the youth.They both said Minggia and the other teenagers were wearing the black and blue bandannas and beads that identified them as YNIC members.

The incident occurred in the 5700 block of Brookmere Lane. That area is near several public schools in Churchland and Brandon Square, a townhouse area that Minggia frequents, according to the affidavit.

Minggia was scheduled to be tried Tuesday on the unlawful wounding charge, but the case was continued to June 18 because witnesses for the defense did not show up.