Ohio man gets 23 years in prison for child slaying

CLEVELAND (AP) — A northeast Ohio man convicted of fatally shooting a 12-year-old girl in a street gunfight with another man has been sentenced to 23 years to life in prison.

James Yhonquea had pleaded guilty to aggravated murder in the 2007 death of Astevé “Cookie” Thomas. He was sentenced today in Cleveland.

Authorities say 22-year-old Yhonquea shot the girl after Eric Wilson shot him in the back. They say Yhonquea spun around and fired, striking the girl instead of Wilson.

Thomas was returning home from a corner store when the bullet struck her in the neck. Her death prompted a rally in her neighborhood, and community leaders announced a series of anti-crime initiatives.

Wilson was convicted last January on involuntary manslaughter and other charges and sentenced to 35 years in prison.