43
Warren girl, 14, charged with aggravated murder of her father
By Ed Runyan
WARREN
Bresha Meadows, 14, of Hunter Street Northwest is detained in the Trumbull County Juvenile Detention Center, charged with aggravated murder in the fatal shooting of her father, Jonathan R. Meadows Sr., 41, early Thursday.
Bresha’s mother, Brandi Meadows, called 911 about 3 a.m. and reported that Bresha had shot her father in the head. Police found him dead of at least one gunshot wound when they arrived.
Warren police said they are not allowing the county 911 center to release the call to the media because of information contained in the recording.
Magistrate Monte Horton of the juvenile court conducted a detention hearing at 1 p.m. Thursday, which will be followed by a plea hearing at 9 a.m. Tuesday that also will be handled by Horton, said Jack Silbaugh, juvenile court bailiff. Bresha will be detained at least until the Tuesday hearing, Silbaugh said.
Silbaugh said neither of the hearings is open to the public, only custodial family members. The Vindicator left a voice mail with the office of Judge Sandra Stabile Harwood objecting to the closure of Tuesday’s hearing and requesting a call back, but there was no reply.
Capt. Robert Massucci said the girl was taken to the juvenile center after being taken into custody. He didn’t know how many times Jonathan Meadows had been shot. He had been shot at least once in the head, a police report said.
Massucci said he didn’t have any information on what led up to the shooting or have any information suggesting that either Jonathan Meadows or Bresha Meadows had any previous criminal history.
The only suggestion of a motive in the shooting came from a relative at the home Thursday afternoon who indicated that the shooting was the result of “20 years of abuse.”
The one court record that is on file is from July 2011, when a domestic court magistrate approved a protection order against Jonathan Meadows. It was filed by his wife, Brandi Meadows. But the protection order was dismissed at Brandi Meadows’ request two months later.
Neighbors on Hunter Street said they never saw any indication that the Meadows family, which includes five children ranging in age from 14 to 22, was having any domestic problems.
“I’ve never really seen anything,” neighbor Megan McCarty said of the Meadows family, adding that she had lived there about four years.
Jim Waters, who lives across the street from the Meadows family, said he never had seen anything suggesting problems.
Bresha Meadows is mentioned in one Warren police report as a runaway.
On May 29, her mother reported that Bresha had left home the previous night and did not return.
Something similar happened Jan. 15, 2015, when Bresha didn’t come home from school, Lincoln K-8. Bresha had indicated she was upset because she was not allowed to see a boy, her mother said.
An aunt, who is a Cleveland police detective, told family members she knew where Bresha was and brought her back home that day. She had been staying with another aunt in Cleveland, Warren police said.
Massucci said he does not recall any child that young having been charged with murder in the 25 years he has been with the Warren Police Department.
Several males about 17 have been charged with murder during that time period, but never a girl as young as Bresha.
As with the pending murder charge against Jacob Larosa, 16, of Niles, a juvenile court judge would have the discretion to decide whether Bresha should be tried as an adult.