(La Porte, IN) - A La Porte man charged with a near fatal shooting made his initial court appearance on Friday.  61-year old Clifford Wesley is charged in La Porte Circuit Court with Attempted Murder and Aggravated Battery.

 

During the hearing, he was informed by Judge Tom Alevizos about the sentencing range on each count should he be convicted.  Various hearings leading up trial were also set.

 

Wesley is accused of shooting his roommate in the chest and stomach at his home at 1006 Clay St. on March 27.  Charles Mischloney was admitted into intensive care when transported to Memorial Hospital in South Bend.

 

According to court documents, the men knew each other from the time they spent at a Michigan City homeless shelter over a year ago.  Eventually, both men found jobs at a factory in La Porte.  Wesley told police there was a physical altercation from his roommate not liking what he was watching on TV and the shooting resulted from self-defense.  However, police said Wesley gave several different versions of how the shooting unfolded and each one did not match the evidence at the scene of the shooting.

 

Welsey is scheduled to be back in the courtroom on April 22 to let the court know if he has an attorney yet  A jury trial was scheduled for March 8, 2023.  He could face an up to 56 year sentence if found guilty on both counts.