Bronx PGs charges dismissed

Two weeks ago, Deonte Houston, a star point guard at Wings Academy was charged with first-degree robbery but on Monday morning, "All charges were dismissed."

This according to an elated Houston, who spoke to NYCHoops.net by phone as he left the courthouse.

"I feel like I got my life back," said Houston when asked about his immediate emotions.

Houston's nightmare began the Monday after Mothers Day while he was at Wings Academy. "I was in school doing my English program when security came and took me out [of the classroom]," said Houston. "When the police asked me where I was on Mother's Day, I wasn't worried because I knew I was home," he said.

Houston then said he was even more surprised when he was picked out in a line up and taken to central booking. Released on his own recognizance, Houston didn't realize how big of a deal it was until he stepped outside. "When I came out of the courthouse, there were all these reporters snapping pictures," said Houston. "I didn't know it was gonna be all that."

Confident in his innocence and having obtained an attorney (Owen H. Lamb), Houston finally received vindication on Monday, walking out of the courthouse free and cleared of all charges.

Houston says that he has learned valuable lessons from the experience. "Any given day, someone can be arrested for something they didn't do," he said.

The gifted senior point guard with Wings Academy said that the experience made him realize "how precious life is."

Wings head coach Billy Turnage weighed in saying," Deonte's a good kid" and added that "this situation [has] affected his grandmother and his mother."

Coach Turnage said that the negative publicity also adversely affected his college recruitment "but Deonte's gonna put this behind him and keep it moving."

"He made the Dean's list," said Gary Charles, the Director of Houston's AAU team the NY Panthers. "The kid has been doing the right thing on and off the court," Charles said regarding Houston's character.

Charles said that Houston was originally scheduled to attend South Kent, a post graduate school in CT, but after the incident, the headmaster changed his mind. Now that Houston has been exonerated, Charles said, "We're going to talk to them again."

Through it all, Houston said that he intends to turn a negative into a positive and looks to continue with his basketball and the recruitment process. "I'm even more focused now," he said.