In the early morning hours of August 3, 2019, the life of 22-year-old Samuel Chocico was tragically cut short in his Baton Rouge apartment on North Donmoor Avenue. A male suspect forced his way into Chocico's home, demanding money and brutally pistol-whipping him. The assailant then shot Chocico multiple times before fleeing the scene with the victim's wallet and two cell phones.
A witness inside the apartment at the time of the home invasion was awakened by the violent encounter.
Law enforcement's investigation into the murder quickly pointed to a suspect, Damian Dowels. Surveillance footage from the apartment complex captured Dowels riding away on a bicycle around the time of the killing, notably wearing yellow gloves. A search of the area uncovered the two stolen cell phones and a pair of yellow gloves discarded in a nearby drainage ditch.
The gloves proved to be a critical piece of evidence, as the DNA recovered from them was a match to Damian Dowels, whose profile was in the system from a prior burglary. Just days before the fatal shooting, Chocico's home had been burglarized. Based on the compelling evidence, including the witness's account and the DNA match, Damian Dowels was arrested and subsequently booked on one count of first-degree murder.
