Warren teen remains in custody in father's fatal shooting

WARREN — Bresha Meadows, 14, of Hunter Street Northwest, will remain in juvenile custody while she awaits her next hearing in Trumbull County Juvenile Court on an aggravated murder charge in the early Thursday shooting death of her father, Jonathan R. Meadows, Sr., 41.

During this morning's hearing, Trumbull County Juvenile Court Magistrate Monte Horton explained that Bresha is being charged as a Serious Youthful Offender, which means the case could be handled in juvenile court or adult court, depending on whether prosecutors decide to ask that she be bound over to the adult court.

Stanley Elkins, assistant Trumbull County prosecutor, said the case is still being investigated, so prosecutors don't know yet whether they will ask for her to be tried as an adult.

A date for her next hearing in juvenile court was not immediately available.

The proceeding was called a "plea hearing," the juvenile-court equivalent of an arraignment.

Police said her mother, Brandi Meadows, called 911 about 3 a.m. Thursday and reported that Bresha had shot her father in the head. He was dead at the scene, Warren Police Capt. Robert Massucci said. Police declined to provide details as to what led up to the shooting, but a family member said Thursday afternoon the killing was the result of "20 years of abuse" by Jonathan Meadows against members of his family.

Bresha was taken to the juvenile justice center shortly after the killing and was charged in his murder later that day.

A juvenile court magistrate contacted the Vindicator this morning to say that the hearing had been moved from 1:30 p.m. to 10 a.m. to accommodate the schedule of an attorney.

Jonathan Meadows, who had lived with his wife and family in Warren for about 20 years, had no criminal record in Trumbull County.

But a Family Court magistrate approved a protection order against Jonathan Meadows in July 2011. Brandi Meadows filed the request but withdrew it two months later.

A May 29, 2016, Warren police report said an aunt told police Bresha ran away from home that week out of "fear for her life" because of her father is "an alcoholic that becomes very angry when he's drunk and threatens to harm her."

Police said Trumbull County Children Services opened a case into the matter as a result of the incident, according to a police report. Police said Bresha was going to stay with her aunt while CSB investigated.