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Man accused of killing local Salvation Army worker during crime spree indicted for murder

William T. Jones was charged on 35 counts including Aggravated Murder, Murder, and Felonious Assault.

The man accused of murdering Salvation Army worker Jared Plesec during a crime spree earlier this month has been indicted on multiple counts.

The charges in the 35-count indictment against William T. Jones include Aggravated Murder, Murder, Attempted Murder, Aggravated Robbery, Felonious Assault, Burglary, Vandalism, Discharging a Firearm on or Near Prohibited Premises, Grand Theft, and Failure to Comply.

Authorities believe Jones' crime spree on December 2nd began with the murder of Plesec in the lobby of Euclid Beach Villa, continued with a series of carjackings and assaults, and ended with a shooting in Lakewood. Jones was finally captured by Lakewood Police.

Police say Jones attempted to steal a woman's car at an east side gas station and fired shots at her as she drove off. Jones allegedly stole cars from three other people and shot a female jogger before he entered a parking garage at the Marine Towers apartment complex on Edgewater Drive in Lakewood.

Jones is then reported to have thrown a 56-year-old woman to the ground inside the garage and stole her car, driving it through the garage door on the building's southwest end. Police managed to box Jones in and arrested him on Lake Avenue.

“While all murders offend the peace and dignity of our community, this crime is especially coldblooded and appears to be racially motivated,” said Cuyahoga County Prosecutor Michael O’Malley in a release. “Our office is consulting with federal prosecutors to see if this homicide and subsequent crime spree qualify as hate crimes and/or civil rights crimes under the federal statutes.”

Arraignment is scheduled for 8:30 a.m. on December 14, 2017.

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