Leavittsburg man charged with reckless homicide in cousin’s death

Staff report

WARREN

Thomas A. Catalde Jr. is expected to appear in Warren Municipal Court today to face a felony reckless homicide charge in the death of his cousin.

Catalde, 28, of Ruth Avenue in Leavittsburg, was arrested Wednesday on a warrant and booked into the Trumbull County Jail at 1:30 p.m.

Catalde told police he accidentally shot his cousin, Jesse A. Hayes, 15, a student at Parma Senior High School, while showing Hayes a shotgun Catalde recently had purchased.

Catalde said he “did not know the shotgun was loaded and was just screwing around,” according to Warren Township police, who responded to the 10:38 p.m. shooting.

Catalde told police he had been drinking earlier but was not intoxicated.

Hayes, who was visiting at Catalde’s house at the time, died Monday at Cleveland MetroHealth Hospital.

If convicted, Catalde could get up to five years in prison.