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Foley: Drugs focus of murder probe
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Hodges
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Greenwalt
YOUNGSTOWN
The investigation into the East Side weekend shooting that left one man dead and another man wounded continues with no arrest, but police believe they have the motive.
Damon Hodges, 34, was found dead about 11 a.m. Saturday in his home in the 100 block of North Lane Avenue, and Dustin Greenwalt, 25, was taken to St. Elizabeth Health Center for gunshot wounds. Police want to speak with Greenwalt, who now is listed in stable condition.
Hodges was killed by a gunshot wound to the head, and Greenwalt was shot once in the chest and once in the torso. Hodges was found sitting in a chair inside the Lane Avenue home, but Greenwalt managed to run to a neighboring house for help.
Police Chief Rod Foley said it does not appear that the shooting is connected to any of the previous six shootings in the area this year. He said the motive for this shooting appears to be drug-related.
“The house appears to have been a drug house because of the way the locks were set up, and there were peep holes installed to look out of while selling drugs,” said Foley.
Hodges did have a prior conviction for trafficking in cocaine in 2010. His arrest on those charges stemmed from a domestic situation between Hodges and a 22-year-old East Side woman.
Police responded to domestic calls situation between Hodges and the woman twice on the same day in August 2010. On the second call, police found Hodges standing over the woman, who was nude and crying.
Police took Hodges into custody, but the female victim began screaming that Hodges had not hit her, then she told officers she wanted to get her phone out of Hodges’ pocket. Police searched Hodges pockets and found a sandwich bag filled with money and another sandwich bag containing drugs.
Hodges ultimately entered into a plea deal with prosecutors and was sentenced to probation.
Greenwalt also has had prior run-ins with law enforcement including an arrest for drug abuse in 2008 and an arrest for aggravated robbery in 2007. He was also the victim of a shooting in 2010. In the 2010 shooting, Greenwalt was shot in the thigh, crotch and pelvis.
Police reports say Greenwalt was in one of two cars sitting in opposite directions on North Maryland Avenue with the drivers engaged in conversation. Another man walked between the cars, and shots rang out. Foley said police have not determined if robbery of the suspected drug house was the motive for the shooting.