Saturday, February 24, 2007
YOUNGSTOWN -- A Canfield man turned himself in to police Friday evening, saying he accidentally shot a Youngstown man, who later died at the hospital.
Jovan Lave, 19, of 360 Newton St., was arrested on a charge of negligent homicide in the death of Travis Garcia, 18, of 88 Haseltine Ave.
Details about the shooting are still unclear, but police found Garcia at 3 p.m. in an upstairs bedroom of his home with a gunshot wound to the abdomen. Lave was not at the home when police arrived.
Garcia was taken to St. Elizabeth Health Center, where he died of his injuries later in the evening.
Lave turned himself in at the police station on Boardman Street, where he told authorities the shooting of Garcia was accidental. Lave is being held at the Mahoning County jail.
George Zupko, a next-door neighbor, said he remembered Garcia was the same age as his grandchildren. Zupko said he didn't hear any shots, but he heard police sirens.
"He's basically a good kid," Zupko said. "I was thinking maybe they were fooling around with a weapon but then a detective followed tracks through the backyard."