Thursday, August 28, 2014
By Joe Gorman
YOUNGSTOWN
A blaze at a West Side home last week that was the address of two brothers accused in the city’s latest homicide has been ruled an arson.
Fire Department Capt. Alvin Ware said the ruling was made Friday for the Aug. 20 blaze at 118 Manchester Ave. Ware said samples of debris were sent to be tested and traces of an accelerant were found.
Ware said there are no suspects at this time.
Police said two of the suspects in the Aug. 17 shooting death of 17-year-old Shawn Cortez of West Ravenwood Avenue lived in the home.
David Jenkins, 17, faces a charge of aggravated murder and aggravated riot in connection with the death of Cortez. His 19-year-old brother, Dejon Jenkins, is charged with complicity to commit murder and aggravated riot after purportedly giving a gun to his brother, a gun police say was used to shoot Cortez.
Cortez was shot during a street fight that went awry. Police arrested 10 other people on charges ranging from obstruction of justice to aggravated riot to involuntary manslaughter for the brawl and shooting that led to the death of Cortez.
Firefighters were called to the Jenkinses’ home about 4:35 a.m. Aug. 20 and when they arrived they found a fire on the front porch spreading up the side of the home to the roof.
Neighbors told firefighters that five people lived in the house but firefighters searched the home and found no one there, reports said.
There was a car in the garage but a second car that was typically parked there was gone, reports said.
Fire reports also said records showed that gas service to the home was cut off in July.
No one who lived at the home was around when firefighters were there, reports said.
Crews managed to keep the blaze contained to the front-porch area.
Damage was listed at $15,000.
Police said the street fight that led to the death of Cortez was the result of an ongoing feud between two families.