HOOVER –Police have charged 16-year-old Charleston Wells of Bessemer with murder in the shooting death of Mike Gilotti, a husband, father of two, and war veteran.
Gilotti was gunned down in the front yard of his Lake Cyrus home in Hoover as he left at 5 a.m. to go to the gym for an early morning workout.
Hoover officers, along with the Jefferson County District Attorney’s office announced the charges Friday afternoon. Wells is currently being held in Tuscaloosa on charges of stealing an Ford F-250 pickup truck.
Charleston Wells will charged with capital murder in the death of Mike Gilotti. Photo via Hoover Police Facebook
Wells will be transferred to the Jefferson County jail where he will be held without bond on the capital murder charges. He has been charged as an adult.
Hoover investigators, along with several partner agencies have worked non-stop since this senseless crime occurred, a release from the department stated.
Possible suspect names emerged very early into this investigation and it became apparent that all of them had ties to the Bessemer area, police said. Investigators also learned very early that these suspects were the same individuals who broke into numerous cars and stole a truck in Tuscaloosa, just prior to coming to Hoover.
Law enforcement agencies throughout the Birmingham area have also recovered four stolen vehicles in the past 10 days, all affiliated with these suspects.
This group is also being investigated for their involvement in other crimes in nearby cities, authorities said.
Detectives and Crime Scene investigators have been processing numerous pieces of evidence that will link them to our murder case.
Police say there are at least three other suspects being held who have not yet been charged.
“The arrest of Charleston Wells is just the first step in holding each suspect accountable for his actions in this senseless crime,” police said in a published statement. “Detectives continue to gather and analyze evidence and link it to those who participated. The first phase of this investigation will be complete when every suspect who was involved is safely behind bars. We fully anticipate additional arrests.”
