One of the defendants named in Cardell Hayes’ lawsuit against the city of New Orleans in 2005 dined with Will Smith hours before the former Saints defensive end was killed late Saturday night, The Advocate reported Sunday.
Hayes, 28, has been charged with second-degree murder of Smith.
Bill Ceravolo, one of the defendants in the lawsuit, told The Advocate on Sunday he dined with Smith hours before the shooting. Ceravolo said he not at the shooting scene, nor was he aware he was named in the suit.
Hayes, scheduled to appear before a judge later Sunday, was a standout high school football player.
Hayes played on the defensive line for Warren Easton, a charter school in New Orleans. A 2005 Times-Picayune article said he was set to attend the University of Louisiana-Lafayette, but it was not clear if he ever enrolled.
In 2015, Hayes was listed as a player for the Crescent City Kings, a developmental team in New Orleans.
Arizona Cardinals defensive back Tyrann Mathieu, who graduated from New Orleans' St. Augustine High School in 2010, wrote on Twitter that he was familiar with Hayes.
