A 15-year-old boy in Ohio has been charged with murder after allegedly killing a man who was accused of assaulting his mother. The Cincinnati Police Department responded to reports of a shooting on Pasadena Avenue around 12:30 a.m. on Thursday, February 20. Upon arrival, officers found 30-year-old Levonte Hyde suffering from multiple gunshot wounds. He was transported to the University of Cincinnati Medical Center, where he was later pronounced dead.
Authorities, including the Cincinnati Police Department’s Homicide Unit, arrested the teenager later that same day and charged him with murder in connection to the shooting.
According to an affidavit obtained by Cleveland 19, the teen’s mother informed police that Hyde had punched her in the face multiple times while they were in a car on their way to a store earlier that night. As a result of the alleged assault, a warrant was issued for Hyde’s arrest on a misdemeanor domestic violence charge. Law enforcement also requested a judge to grant a temporary protection order for the woman.
Court records stated that the woman had visible injuries and identified her as the victim in the domestic violence incident. Hyde was officially charged that day.
Authorities confirmed that the teenager accused in the shooting is one of the woman’s sons, though he is not Hyde’s biological child. Hyde and the woman share two children together. Court records also indicate that Hyde had a prior charge of assault dating back to July 2017.
During the teenager’s appearance in Hamilton County Juvenile Court on Friday, February 21, it was alleged that he fired 12 shots at Hyde. Prosecutors argued that the teen had time to locate a firearm, unlock a safe, retrieve the weapon, and wait for Hyde before firing the shots. The shooting occurred approximately 30 minutes after the domestic violence incident.
The judge ruled that the suspect must remain in detention or shelter care until his next hearing, scheduled for March 3.
Anyone experiencing domestic violence can seek help by calling the National Domestic Violence Hotline at 1-800-799-7233 or visiting thehotline.org. The hotline is confidential and available 24/7 in over 170 languages.
