MILWAUKEE — A Milwaukee woman accused of causing $10,000 in damage to a DoorDash driver's car over an undelivered chicken wing order pleaded not guilty during a preliminary hearing and is now headed to trial.
READ ALSO: DoorDash customer appears in court, speaks to TMJ4 after felony charge
Janiyah Jones faces felony criminal property damage charges after prosecutors say she attacked delivery driver Faith Morris's vehicle with what appeared to be a tire iron in August.
"She did this over a ten-piece chicken wing! She passed Fryers to come here," Morris said after the incident.
The case gained widespread attention after surveillance footage showed a woman knocking on Morris's front door before allegedly damaging her car.
Police investigation details emerge
Milwaukee Police Officer Thomas Wright testified during the preliminary hearing on Tuesday, marking the first time investigators shared details about how they identified Jones as the suspect.
Wright said Morris told police she was unable to complete the DoorDash delivery due to technical difficulties and returned home. Shortly after, Morris began receiving messages and calls from the customer before the alleged attack occurred.
"She said she watched that same person went to her car, had an object she believed was a tire iron in her hand, and that that same subject then struck her vehicle," Wright testified.
Watch: DoorDash customer pleads not guilty to $10,000 car damage over chicken wings order
Police say DoorDash provided the customer's phone number and address, both belonging to Jones. Investigators also matched home surveillance footage to body camera video of Jones from an earlier crash scene this year.
Defense challenges evidence
Jones's defense attorney Connor Mathias questioned the investigation's thoroughness and the evidence against his client.
"Did you ever speak to Miss Jones about what happened that night?" Mathias asked Wright during cross-examination.
"I never did," Wright responded.
Mathias also challenged the surveillance footage, asking Wright whether the ring doorbell video actually showed Jones taking the alleged actions.
"It does not," Wright admitted.
Jones declined to speak in court and did not respond to interview requests. In September, she had told reporters she was prepared for trial.
"If the judge decides to take this to trial, I have no problem with it. Given the evidence I have," Jones said at the time.
If convicted of the felony charge, Jones faces up to three years in prison. A scheduled conference has been set for Nov. 7 at 8:30 a.m., according to court records.
This story was reported on-air by a journalist and has been converted to this platform with the assistance of AI. Our editorial team verifies all reporting on all platforms for fairness and accuracy.
It’s about time to watch on your time. Stream local news and weather 24/7 by searching for “TMJ4” on your device.
Available for download on Roku, Apple TV, Amazon Fire TV, and more.
