Slidell man sentenced to 15 years in shooting

A 26-year-old Slidell man pleaded guilty Monday to attempted murder and was sentenced to 15 years in prison for shooting his girlfriend’s father.

Trevon Miller, of 384 Thomas Road, dodged a maximum 50 years in prison for the charge, but was sentenced without the benefit of probation, parole or suspension by state district court Judge Peter Garcia. The minimum sentence is 10 years in jail.

Miller was arrested for the May 11, 2008, shooting of Alonzo Stokes while in Orleans Parish prison on unrelated charges. Because he gave authorities an alias, it took some time before he was identified as the triggerman, and he was booked into the St. Tammany Parish Jail on Aug. 11.

The shooting scenario unfolded a day earlier when Slidell Police arrived at Possum Hollow Trailer Park at 11:50 p.m. to break up an argument between Miller and Stokes, 45. Stokes, mad at how his daughter Shateasha Stokes, 24, was being treated by her boyfriend, Miller, told authorities the argument was resolved.

It wasn’t.

The next day, on May 11, Miller and Shateasha Stokes, 24, drove a rental vehicle to a family member’s home on Eighth Street. Miller stayed inside the van while Stokes opened the door, yelling, “Daddy.”

As the elder Stokes approached Miller got out, gun clutched in hand, and shot the father in the leg, police said at the time.

Both Miller and his girlfriend sped off and fled to Atlanta.

The elder Stokes was rushed to Slidell Memorial Hospital, where doctors called police.

An investigation was launched and eventually settled on both Miller and Stokes’ daughter, with the younger Stokes the center of a plot to set up her father, Slidell Police said at the time.

She was arrested on July 28 when she was back in St. Tammany and alongside a friend, detained for shoplifting at the Wal-Mart on Natchez Drive. At the time Stokes had two outstanding attachments for failure to appear in the Slidell City Court and was also charged with failure to return a leased vehicle.

As of Tuesday, authorities had not filed any charges against the younger Stokes with District Attorney Walter Reed’s Office, largely because Alonzo Stokes recently recanted his opinion that he was set up by his daughter, said Rick Wood, Reed’s spokesman.

That investigation, however, is ongoing, Wood said.

The victim was present during sentencing Monday and agreed with the punishment, Wood said.