Published: February 12, 2008 10:33 pm      

Man shot while fleeing robbers

4 suspects being sought

WESTWOOD — An Ashland man was shot Tuesday morning at a Westwood car wash, apparently while fleeing from people who were attempting to rob him.

The incident occurred about 6 a.m. at the Aqua Jet Car Wash on Hoods Creek Pike. The victim, Kenneth Hunt, 45, suffered a gunshot wound to the back, the Boyd County Sheriff’s Department said.

According to Sheriff Terry Keelin, Hunt was sitting in his parked vehicle at the car wash when another car, a maroon late 1980s model Dodge, pulled onto the lot and pulled up next to his.

A man jumped out of the second vehicle, pulled a gun and demanded money, the sheriff said.

Hunt “floored it” and sped away, and the would-be robber opened fire with a 9 mm pistol, Keelin said.

One of the rounds struck Hunt’s vehicle. The other hit Hunt in the back and lodged in his chest.

Following the shooting, Hunt drove himself to King’s Daughters Medical Center. From there, he was transferred to St. Mary’s Medical Center, where he was listed in critical condition.

Investigators are looking for several people whom they termed “persons of interest” in the shooting, Keelin said. He identified two as Jeremy Johnson, also known as Jeremy Scapaticcio, whom investigators believe was the driver of the second vehicle; and a woman by the name of Paige Clair.

The other two are an unidentified, crew-cut, Caucasian male in his early 20s, whom authorities believe was the shooter; and an unidentified woman.

The suspects all are believed to be from Ashland, the sheriff’s department said. Anyone with information about their whereabouts is asked to contact the sheriff’s department at (606) 739-5136 or the Public Safety Communications Center at (606) 329-9911.

KENNETH HART can be reached at khart@dailyindependent.com or (606) 326-2654.