By Shereen Siewert
A 35-year-old Wausau woman charged in connection with a July 3 drive-by shooting in downtown Wausau is being held on a $250,000 cash bond, court records show.
Amanda Lewis faces two counts of attempted first-degree homicide, as party to a crime. The charges were filed July 9 in Marathon County Circuit Court following an intense investigation into the alleged shooting, which shook residents and business owners in the area.
Police say Lewis was a passenger in a vehicle driven by Maurice Bell, who allegedly shot at two teenagers just after 2:30 p.m. on Wed., July 3 in the area of North First Street and McIndoe Street. No one was injured in the shooting, which is being described as retaliation for a perceived connection with the near-fatal beating of a 15-year-old boy two days earlier on Chicago Avenue. The boy who was beaten, a friend of Lewis’ son, remains in critical condition as of Tuesday.
Bell allegedly responded to Lewis’ concerns by saying he would bring “2 of my nephews to shoot up the whole (expletive) town,” court documents state. Police say Bell and Lewis are involved in a relationship, and the vehicle used in the drive-by shooting was registered to Lewis.
Bell remains at large.
Court records show Lewis is also facing charges of concealing or receiving stolen property. A preliminary hearing is set for July 17, when a judge will determine if prosecutors have enough evidence to move forward to a trial.
Police are now asking for the public’s assistance in locating a person of interest, wanted for questioning, in connection with the shooting. The person of interest is 33-year-old Maurice Bell, who also goes by the nickname “JB.”Bell has ties to both Wausau and Chicago, IL, and is also wanted by the Wisconsin Department of Corrections. Anyone with knowledge of Bell’s whereabouts is asked not to approach Bell, but to contact the Wausau Police Department at 715-261-7811.
