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Police get leads in shooting of student
YOUNGSTOWN
Police say they have some leads in their search for suspects in the city’s fourth homicide this year, while a 53-year-old city man was arraigned in connection to the city’s third homicide earlier this month.
Police say the investigation into the murder of 16-year-old De’Vail Fleeton, the young father of a 4-month-old daughter, is making progress. The Chaney High student was gunned down Saturday afternoon on the East Side.
Capt. Rod Foley said police may be close to making an arrest or arrests in the case and are consulting with prosecutors as they go forward with the investigation. He said the community has been coming forward with information.
“We have made a lot of progress in the case, but we have not made any arrest yet,” said Foley. “We have a lot of people in that neighborhood calling us with information. Someone anonymous called yesterday and gave us a lot of names we didn’t have.”
Witnesses say five black males wearing black, hooded sweatshirts and red ball caps chased the victim from the Plaza View Apartments across Stewart Avenue and McGuffey Road, firing at him as he ran. After the victim fell, the suspects ran back into Plaza View.
Fleeton had been shot once in the back.
“We have a lot of people involved in this, and we are not going to rush this one,” said Foley. “Potentially, everybody involved could be charged with homicide so they need to start coming forward and being truthful about their involvement.”
Meanwhile, Jerry Smith Sr., 53, of Tremble Avenue, Campbell, was arraigned Tuesday before Magistrate Dominic J. DeLaurentis Jr. of Mahoning County Common Pleas Court on charges of murder and tampering with evidence. He pleaded not guilty to all charges.
Smith was represented by Atty. Walter Ritchie at arraignment but informed the magistrate that he has retained Atty. J. Gerald Ingram to represent him in court.
Smith is in the county jail on a $750,000 bond, but the magistrate told his attorney he could address bond reduction with Judge R. Scott Krichbaum of common pleas court.
Smith is slated to appear before Judge Krichbaum on Tuesday for a pretrial. His trial is scheduled to begin May 16 before the judge.
Tyler Simpson, 20, of Dover Street, Warren, was found dead on the sidewalk outside a Kimmel Street home on Youngstown’s East Side just before 6 p.m. March 12.
A witness told police Simpson was at the residence when an argument broke out among some of the people inside, and Smith brandished a handgun and started shooting.
According to police, Simpson reportedly went outside, and Smith followed, shooting Simpson once in the abdomen and once in the right side of the face.