By Peter A. Sutters Jr.
William “Hits” Capehart, 18, of Elmhurst was arrested in October on two counts of robbery, assault and criminal possession of a weapon after he alledgedly approached an Asian woman near the intersection of 88th Street and 50th Avenue in Elmhurst, where he beat her with a gun and demanded her wallet, according to the criminal complaint filed by the DA's office.The complaint says the victim was approached by Capehart, who was on a bicycle, and waved a handgun while demanding her wallet. The complaint goes on to say Capehart pushed the woman to the ground and punched her “about the face and head” and repeatedly struck her in the head with the handgun while the two struggled for the woman's wallet, which he made off with.The woman went to Queens Hospital following the attack and received several stitches to close wounds on her head, according to the complaint.Capehart's name came up several times during the two-week long trial of Charles Bryant, 17, of Rosedale, who was convicted last week of the murder of 18-year-old Chinese food deliveryman Huang Chen. Detective William Hendrickson testified Bryant had lied about the name of an accomplice in his first confession because he feared reprisals from the person, who Bryant later identified as Capehart in a second confession.Throughout Bryant's trial it was mentioned several times that there were three people involved in the murder, but Capehart was never charged. The second suspect, Naquan Miller, 17, of Rochdale Village, is expected to have his trial begin shortly, according to the DA.Capehart was never charged in the murder of Chen because there was not enough evidence linking him to the crime, unlike Bryant and Miller who both gave police confessions, according to a source close to the investigation.Capehart was charged and released on $10,000 bail and is due back in court on April 12, according to the DA.Reach reporter Peter A. Sutters Jr. by e-mail at news@timesledger.com or by phone at 718-229-0300 Ext 173.
