Suspect's uncle: "nephew not a monster"

DAYTON, Ohio (WDTN) - Dameon Wesley's uncle said it was an answer to a prayer that 2 NEWS asked to speak with him because he wants people to know the Dameon Wesley he has known.

He calls himself  Wesley's favorite uncle.  He said, "18 years in prison he came out, had he not, I told him not to get involved with women right now cause you don't know how to handle them."

He wants people to know his nephew is not a monster.  He agreed to an interview as long as we didn't show his face.

"He made a conscious choice to not hold onto God."

Wesley has no siblings and he lost both of his parents before turning 19 years of age, so the uncle and his mother, Wesley's grandmother, have played significant roles in Wesley's life.  Wesley even apologized to her while be taken to jail.

He said, "I'm sorry Grandma. I know I let you down, and I love you too."

Before taking Wesley into custody, police searched streets not far from where the uncle lives, but he told me he did not hide Wesley in his home.  He did say he heard from him.

"Sure enough he called me about 12 o'clock, I believe it was, and he said Unc and I said D what's up man?  He said I'm sorry. I'm sorry Unc.  I really didn't mean to. What about the kids?  What about the kids?  He said Unc when I shot at her God made those bullets reflect off her he said, I don't miss and the bullet hit the kids and I'm sorry. He did not blatantly go to shoot the kids."

He said Wesley is smart, and in fact, was working for a lawyer.  He said he had given his nephew money to keep him out of trouble, but he worried about a woman manipulating Wesley.  He wasn't sure how Dawan Culpepper and Wesley met.  He said he does not know her, but is very sorry about what happened to her daughter and niece.