S.C. woman convicted of staging home invasion and hostage situation that killed 8-year-old boy
10/01/2021 1:50 pm PDT
LEXINGTON COUNTY, S.C. (TCD) -- A 25-year-old woman was sentenced to 40 years in prison without the possibility of parole for her role in staging a home invasion that caused an 8-year-old boy to get fatally shot.
The 11th Circuit Solicitor’s Officer released a statement Monday announcing Lisa Monette’s conviction on charges of murder, first-degree burglary, criminal conspiracy, and attempted armed robbery.
On May 13, 2019, 8-year-old Mason Hanahan went to his father Austin Hanahan’s house after baseball practice, even though he lived primarily with his mother, according to the statement. Mason reportedly fell asleep on the couch after playing Fortnite. Monette was friends with Austin Hanahan and was reportedly at his house that day, too.
The Solicitor’s Office statement says 911 received a call on May 14, 2019, at 12:23 a.m. about an armed intruder making his way into the house and holding Monette hostage. Austin reportedly shot at the armed intruder to free Monette. The intruder returned fire, and a shot struck Mason in the head and killed him. Austin was reportedly injured in the gunfire.
Monette reportedly made "inconsistent statements" to investigators, who learned about her ties to a local gang. On May 17, Monette reportedly admitted to staging the home invasion in order to rob Austin of "large amounts of money in the home."
The Lexington County Sheriffs Department announced on May 17 that Monette and co-conspirator Reynerio Rafael Romero Jr. were arrested. Romero was charged with accessory to murder before the fact and criminal conspiracy.
The Sheriff’s Department statement said, "Over the course of our investigation, we’ve gathered information indicating Monette actively conspired with Romero to plan and carry out the armed robbery in the 100 block of Cedar Vale Drive. The plan was for someone to burglarize the home and take several pounds of marijuana, which was known to be in the residence."
Mason was reportedly a second-grader at Oak Grove Elementary School and was drafted to the Dixie Youth All Star Baseball Team right before his death.
According to the Solicitor’s Office, the intruder remains at large.
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