Last two suspects in young mother's murder arraigned

February 7, 2019 at 12:06a.m.

YOUNGSTOWN

Bond was set Wednesday at $1 million each for the last two suspects in the Jan. 24 shooting death of Crystal Hernandez, 24, in her McBride Street apartment.

The bonds handed down by Magistrate Anthony Sertick for Marquise Torres-Willis, 21, and Joquaun Blair, 22, are the same as for the other four defendants in the death of Hernandez.

Police said she was killed because the suspects were looking for her boyfriend. The suspects, police said, were looking to avenge an earlier shooting by that boyfriend.

The boyfriend, Gabriel Smith, 19, and Lavante Perry, 24, were arraigned earlier this week on charges of felonious assault for that shooting.

Torres-Willis surrendered at the jail while Blair turned himself in to his parole officer. Blair is on parole for a 2017 conviction for being a felon in possession of a firearm.

Police said they collected about 40 shell casings from the parking lot of Hernandez’s apartment from three weapons, including an assault rifle.

Hernandez was holding her 2-year-old son when she was shot. Police found the boy asleep on her chest as she was bleeding from the neck. The boy was not harmed.

The shooting that killed Hernandez was the third shooting involving the groups who police said were feuding because her boyfriend tried to steal drugs and money from the group that killed Hernandez.