On the afternoon of Aug. 20, a 15-year-old boy tried to steal someone’s car. The owner of the car was Arbery, 24, who was out jogging in his neighborhood. Police told the Washington Post that “what started as a jogging event turned into an apparent crime,” that one of the two faces seen on Arbery’s smartphone was a photo of Jhaneel Small, 18, a friend of Arbery’s who had been “closely looking over his shoulder.” Just before 8 p.m., Small’s father allegedly saw someone attempting to steal his daughter’s gold Lexus and then chased the thief down to Tiber Lane, where he pulled her out. Small was shot, and Arbery survived.
The preliminary hearing will determine whether Arbery will stand trial for this alleged crime or, if not, should be tried as an adult on those charges. The main witness is Small, according to the Post. This lack of experience has been a major issue in the investigation. Small is the only witness to testify (likely because she says she can no longer testify because she needs counseling.)
This article originally appeared on Washingtonian.com