Man charged in Aug. 20 shooting incident
Published 5:40 pm Friday, September 3, 2021
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An Austin man accused of chasing and shooting at a vehicle on the morning of Aug. 20 in Austin made his first court appearance on new charges on Wednesday in Mower County District Court.
Terry Izeal Heggs, 38, has been charged with felony drive-by shooting – toward person, occupied motor vehicle or occupied building – and felony violent felon in possession of a firearm.
According to the court complaint, police arrested Ryan Christopher Collins, 32, on Aug. 20 in the 400 block of Third Avenue in Austin after a report of two vehicles chasing each other. Collins fled police in a 2005 Chevrolet Impala that had sustained bullet damage. After his arrest, Collins indicated that “Magic” (later identified as Heggs) was shooting at him from a white Porsche Cayenne. He indicated Heggs shot at him because Heggs believed he had robbed him. Collins detailed the areas he drove in the City of Austin while Heggs was chasing him.
The Department of Corrections informed law enforcement that Heggs was wearing a GPS monitor. Further investigation showed Heggs’s locations at the time of the shooting were consistent with the information that Collins provided.
Heggs was arrested on a Department of Corrections warrant. After being read a Miranda warning, Heggs denied driving the Porsche or shooting at anyone.
The Porsche was located and seized on Aug. 21 in the 900 block of 11th Avenue Southwest. While executing a search warrant on the vehicle, police observed and photographed damage to the rear driver’s side wheel as if it was rubbing against something. In addition, the rear fender was also pulled back from striking something. Police also saw damage on Collins’s vehicle near the tire that appeared to have been caused by the wheel of another vehicle.
A woman who said she was in the car with Collins on the day of the incident told police she and Collins were in the 200 block of First Street Southeast and a white car was in the area. She indicated that Heggs was in the white car, which was in front of them, and Collins told her Heggs was making gestures like he was going to shoot him. She said Collins was speeding to get away from Heggs and that Collins dropped her off on Third Street Southeast when she said she wanted to get out. She said there were no bullet holes in Collins’s vehicle when she was in it.
A review of Heggs’s criminal record shows prior convictions for stalking, criminal sexual conduct, failing to register as a predatory offender, assault with a dangerous weapon, and drug sales. He is currently awaiting disposition on two felony drug sale charges and a felony charge of a predatory offender failing to register a vehicle.
Heggs will appear in court again on Sept. 9.