Police: Waterbury woman shot at people in vehicle in Burlington

Sept. 3, 2022  |  By Eric Blaisdell | Times Argus Staff Writer

Editor’s note: This story was originally published in the Times Argus newspaper on Sept. 1, 2022.

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BURLINGTON — Police say a Waterbury woman shot at a car with people inside in Burlington.

Teia Mobbs, 21, pleaded not guilty Wednesday in Chittenden County criminal court in Burlington to a felony count of aggravated assault and a misdemeanor count of reckless endangerment. If convicted, Mobbs faces a maximum sentence of 16 years in prison. She was ordered held without bail and is currently housed at Chittenden Regional Correctional Facility in South Burlington.

According to court records, a shooting was reported at Perkins Pier in Burlington on Aug. 22. Police said there were no reported injuries in the incident and the vehicles involved fled the scene.

According to court records, Burlington Officer Julian Gonzalez said witnesses reported hearing a loud bang followed by multiple gunshots. Gonzalez said one witness reported a bullet hit the dirt about 15 feet from his vehicle.

The officer said the witness reported someone in a white SUV was shooting at a dark colored sedan. The witness reported the SUV sped off and was followed by the sedan, according to court records.

Gonzalez said four shell casings and a bullet fragment were found at the scene.

Detective Thomas Chenette, also of the Burlington police, said in his affidavit someone then submitted an anonymous tip to the Burlington office of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives stating Mobbs had shot at the sedan. The tipster reported the sedan had four people inside and there were bullet holes in the vehicle, according to court records.

Chenette said police received another tip on Aug. 24. This tipster also reported Mobbs had shot at the vehicle and that Mobbs lived in Waterbury, according to court records.

Chenette said he spoke with this witness on Aug. 26 who reported Mobbs called him the day after the shooting and told him about it. He said the witness reported Mobbs shot at “some girl she had a beef with ... over some dude.”

Chenette said the witness reported Mobbs had bought a 9mm handgun in the spring. The detective noted the shell casings recovered from the scene were 9mm casings.

Chenette said on Aug. 27 he was contacted by one of the people in the vehicle who was shot at. He said she reported she and others in the vehicle had gone to the pier. She reported after they got to the parking lot, the victim saw a female named “Teia,” whom she has had problems with in the past, in the SUV, according to court records. Chenette said the victim reported Mobbs then leaned out the vehicle’s window and shot at her while driving. He said the victim reported she later found two bullet holes in her vehicle.

The detective said one of the bullets went through the passenger side headlight into the engine and the other pierced the rear passenger door on the driver’s side. Chenette said there was a passenger sitting behind the driver at the time of the shooting. He said that person would have been shot in the waistline or legs had the bullet gone through the door.

Chenette said the victim reported Mobbs has been harassing her on social media for the past year over jealousy because the victim had been talking to a former partner of Mobbs’. He said the victim reported Mobbs had recently come to the victim’s home and tried to fight the victim.

Chenette said the victim clarified there were three people in the vehicle at the time of the shooting. He said the two passengers confirmed what the victim had reported.

Chenette said police executed a search warrant on Mobbs’ home on Aug. 30. He said Mobbs was home at the time.

He said Mobbs reported she approached the vehicle because she thought it was a friend’s vehicle, but then realized it was the victims’. Chenette said Mobbs reported a window on the sedan lowered and a rifle was pointed at her. He said she admitted to shooting at the vehicle because the victim would not stop taunting her.

“I scared her to get the (expletive) away from me,” Mobbs told police, according to court records. Chenette said Mobbs reported she didn’t intend to hurt anyone, but she did not take into account others in the area and admitted shooting was not a good idea.

He said Mobbs reported the victim had been harassing her for about a year and it was the victim who came to Mobbs’ home looking for a fight.

Chenette said police seized a handgun found in Mobbs’ vehicle.

The detective said police located a witness who was in Mobbs’ vehicle at the time of the shooting. He said she reported she did not see a gun in the other vehicle, but Mobbs was asking for her gun and shot at the vehicle before fleeing back to Waterbury.