Suspect in West Side homicide arrested in Columbus

YOUNGSTOWN — Larry Johnson, the suspect wanted for the beating death of a 26-year-old mother of four from Youngstown, was arrested tonight by the U.S. Marshal’s Service Northern Ohio Fugitive Task Force, Youngstown Division, in Columbus.

Johnson, 39, was listed as a suspect after the mother, Lashea Parker, was found beaten to death in a Shelby Avenue home on the city’s West Side of Youngstown on Tuesday.

According to a news release, the task force located Johnson at 6:30 p.m. He was inside Parker’s vehicle outside of a Walmart Super Center in Columbus.

Johnson is being detained in the Franklin County Jail until he is returned to Youngstown, which could be as early as Thursday.

Columbus, Boardman, Girard, Youngstown police, the Mahoning County Sheriff’s office and Ohio Adult Parole assisted the marshals.

A neighbor went to investigate why a child was outside without a coat in the yard of the Shelby Avenue home and then found Parker. Her death was the city’s 20th homicide in 2013.

The two oldest children were questioned with Mahoning County Children Services representatives present. The children, ranging in ages 1 to 7, were released to family members.

Police say Parker was not only beaten, but stabbed and her car was missing.