A 15-year-old Ohio teenager, Ronez Joyce, was arrested and charged with the murder of his 30-year-old stepfather, Levonte Hyde, police say.
On Feb. 20, around 12:45 am, Cincinnati Police Department responded to the 1600 Block of Pasadena Avenue in College Hill after reports of a shooting. Upon arrival, they found Hyde suffering from multiple gunshots. Despite life-saving measures provided by first responders at the scene, the victim succumbed to his injuries after being rushed to the Cincinnati Medical Center, reported the New York Post.
A few hours before the fatal incident, the victim was charged with domestic violence after Joyce’s mother filed a police report accusing the victim of attacking her. According to authorities, the couple had been involved in a heated argument as they drove to a store along the 1700 Block of Elmore Street in South Cuminsville after Hyde called her a vulgar name. The defendant’s mother told the police Hyde started punching her repeatedly in the face while driving and had visible injuries to her face.
Later, Joyce retrieved a firearm from a safe at the home the couple shared, waited for the victim, and shot him 12 times. The teen was arrested and charged with murder later in the day.
“There was obviously something going on in the young man’s head that a court could take into consideration in sentencing and probably would, said Legal Analyst Mike Allen, according to FOX19 NOW.
Hyde was a known entity to law enforcement officers. The victim was charged with assault and criminal damages in 2017 after assaulting another woman. He was reported to have bitten her on the forearm, kicked down her door, and destroyed her TV at a residence in Lower Price Hill. However, the woman refused medical treatment, and the charges were dropped.
Joyce is currently being held at a juvenile detention center while prosecutors determine whether to try him as an adult. Hyde and Joyce’s mother were co-parents of two children, including Joyce.
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