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Standoff in Brooklyn ends deadly

Wednesday, January 17, 2007

(Crown Heights-WABC, January 17, 2007) (WABC) -- A family was held hostage for hours and when police finally made it inside the home, they found an artist clubbed to death. Now detectives are questioning the victim's son.

It happened on East New York Avenue in Crown Heights.

The beloved artist also taught at Medgar Evers College. His friend Maulyn Powell just could not believe what happened.

"I can't believe what happened because he loved his family so much. Each and everyday that's all he talked about," said Powell.

Eyewitness News has learned 66-year-old Carlton Ingleton, a sculptor with a commitment to public art, was killed inside his sixth floor apartment at 456 Schenectady Avenue.

According to reports, the attack came after his son, 30-year-old Assawa Ingleton, allegedly held his parents, estranged wife and their two small children hostage in the victim's apartment for six hours.

Police say the standoff started when the son's 24-year-old wife got into a dispute with him as she dropped their two children off at the apartment so she could go to the doctor. The son and his wife, six months pregnant with their third child, began arguing when he demanded she end their separation, which began around Christmas.

The son blocked the door and told the apartment's occupants, "If anyone calls the police, I'll kill you all." After six hours, the mother somehow managed to call police.

But before police arrived, the son apparently clubbed both his mother and father -- while his wife and kids were able to get away. The father was pronounced dead at the scene. The mother was treated for injuries.

Authorities took the son into custody. He was undergoing a psychiatric evaluation at Kings County Hospital.

The victim, who lived in his apartment building for more than 30 years, was described as a socially responsible neighbor and artist who painted and sculpted in his nearby studio, the 843 Studio Gallery at 843 East New York Avenue.

The native of the island of Jamaica was an active member of his community, receiving numerous civic honors.

One neighbor said, "he was a good neighbor, he was just so helpful to everybody."

He has an impressive portfolio of public art, including a large mural in the lobby of the Crossroads Juvenile Center in Brooklyn.

"Public art is important to the life of any city," the victim was once quoted as saying. "It enhances cultural experiences for people who live and work in our communities and visually compliments the architectural designs of a city's buildings and structures."

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