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15 juvenile suspects are facing adult murder charges in Marion County

adams_street_shooting.jpg
Posted at 12:58 PM, Jan 25, 2022
and last updated 2022-09-09 13:55:21-04

Clarification: An earlier version of this story contained incomplete information. Andy Rosales Orellana is one of three defendants charged in the death of Meliton Angel Salazar.

INDIANAPOLIS — It's been a year since the Adams Street slayings, where prosecutors say a 17-year-old gunned down four relatives and his brother's pregnant girlfriend on Jan. 24, 2021.

That teen, Raymond Ronald Lee Childs III, is among 15 young people currently being tried on adult murder charges in Marion County for crimes they are accused of committing when they were underage.

Indiana law says that a juvenile age 16 or 17 who is accused of committing murder is automatically tried as an adult. Youths as young as 12 can be tried as adults for murder, but a judge would ultimately make that decision.

MORE: 2 more teens accused of murder; 15 juveniles facing adult murder charges in Marion County

"The offense of murder is the only crime for which a child as young as 12 can be prosecuted in adult court," said Joel Wieneke, a senior counsel for the Indiana Public Defender Council.

"The prosecutor has to file a motion asking for the child to be waived. And the court will consider evidence as to whether or not the juvenile justice system is appropriate to handle the needs of the child and protect the safety of the community."

In Indiana, Wieneke said the law presumes that the youth should be waived to the adult court whenever a prosecutor makes the request.

Statewide between May 2020 and April 2021, 86 juveniles were facing trial in adult court on felony charges that include murder, armed robbery and burglary, according to the Indiana Criminal Justice Institute.

In Marion County the youngest defendant was 14 when he allegedly killed a man in December 2018. The adult court defendants currently range in age from 16 to 20.

Absent from the list below is a 13-year-old boy arrested for shooting and killing Antonia Reiner, 69, on Oct. 10 inside her home in the 1200 block of Windsor Street.

Marion County Prosecutor Ryan Mears is seeking to have the boy charged as an adult, but a judge has not yet ruled on that request. In juvenile court, the boy is facing charges of murder, burglary and criminal recklessness.

Related: 2022 Marion County homicide map | People We've Lost: These are the 2022 homicide victims | People We've Lost: These are the 2021 homicide victims

These are the juvenile offenders facing murder charges in adult court:

Caden Smith, currently 17.

Caden Smith was 16 in October when Marion County prosecutors say he gunned down Michael James, 22, Abdulla Mubarak, 17, and Joseph Thomas, 18.

The young men's bodies along with more than 50 bullet casings were found Oct. 12 in a remote field on the south side in the 4400 block of South Meridian Street near Interstate 465. Detectives linked Smith to the crime through electronic communications, according to a probable cause affidavit.

Prosecutors charged Smith on Dec. 3 with murder, robbery, possession of a machine gun, dangerous possession of a firearm, possession of methamphetamine, possession of marijuana and resisting law enforcement. A jury trial is scheduled for March 28.

Jahion Jarrett, currently 17.

Jahion Jarrett, 17, was charged in adult court with murder, robbery and other crimes in the July 8 shooting death of Lyft driver Hurts Presendieu, 45.

Presendieu's body was found July 9 behind a building on the property of a church in the 9400 block of East 25th Street. On July 30, prosecutors charged Jarrett as an adult with murder, robbery, resisting law enforcement and dangerous possession of a firearm.

Records show Jarret has a hearing scheduled for Feb. 22 in Marion Superior Court. A jury trial has not been scheduled.

Sylvester Ford, currently 19.

Sylvester Ford was 16 on Feb. 16, 2020, when prosecutors say he shot and killed his uncle, Devon Ford, 28, at a home in the 100 block of Diplomat Court in Beech Grove.

Ford was charged with murder on Feb. 16, 2020. A jury trial is scheduled for April 4.

Knowledge Jones, currently 16.

Knowledge Jones, 16, is accused of shooting Kea'Asia Grundy, 20, and a juvenile about 9 p.m. Aug. 30 in the 3400 block of North Sherman Drive. The juvenile was wounded and Grundy died from her injuries.

On Sept. 14, prosecutors charged Jones as an adult with murder, battery and dangerous possession of a firearm. A jury trial has been scheduled for Feb. 7.

Desmond Banks, currently 18.

Desmond Banks was 17 when prosecutors say he and three othersgunned down four people on Feb. 5 at a northeast-side apartment in the 4100 block of Shady Oak Drive

Marcel Wills, 20, Braxton Ford, 21, Kimari Hunt, 21, and Jalen Roberts, 19, were found in the apartment shot multiple times.

A witness told police people were gambling at the apartment. Court records say Banks and his co-defendants, Rodreice Anderson, 19, Cameron Banks, 19, and Lasean Watkins, 19, went there to commit a robbery when the shootings happened.

Desmond Banks and the other three men were charged with murder and robbery. Jury trials for all four defendants are scheduled to begin in March.

Raymond Ronald Lee Childs III, currently 18.

Raymond Ronald Lee Childs III was 17 on Jan. 24, 2021, when prosecutors say he shot and killed five people and an unborn child at a home on Adams Street.

According to court records, the teen fatally shot his relatives Rita Childs, 13, Elijah Childs, 18, Kezzie Childs, 42, and Raymond Childs Jr., 42, along with his brother's pregnant girlfriend Kiara Hawkins, 19, and her unborn child at a home in the 3500 block of Adams Street. Another 15-year-old relative was wounded and survived the shooting, prosecutors say.

Raymond Childs III was charged Jan. 28 with six counts of murder, one count of attempted murder and carrying a handgun without a license. His jury trial is scheduled for Feb. 23.

Bethany Shaffer, currently 18.

Bethany Shaffer was 17 when prosecutors say she shot and killed Kiana Mimms,18,while Mimms drove in a car in the the 2700 block of Baltimore Avenue on April 24, 2021.

Prosecutors charged Shaffer with murder and carrying a handgun with a license on Nov. 5. A jury trial is scheduled for Feb. 7.

Domonique J. Freeman, currently 19.

Domonique J. Freeman was 17 when prosecutors say he fatally shot Randall Jenkins, 18, on Oct. 16, 2020, in the 2700 block of Hyche Avenue on the northeast side.

On Jan. 21, prosecutors charged Freeman with murder and carrying a handgun with a license. A trial is scheduled for March 7.

Kelyn Harris, currently 18.

Kelyn Harris was 17 when prosecutors say he shot and killed Ezekiel Watkins and Frederick Small at a northeast-side Phillips 66 gas station in the 3800 block of North Mitthoeffer Road on May 21.

Harris was charged on July 7 with two counts of murder. His jury trial is scheduled for Feb. 14.

Eric Copeland, currently 18.

Eric Copeland was just 14 in December 2018 when prosecutors say he shot and killed Gregory Raley during a robbery at a Dollar General Store on East Washington Street in Cumberland. Raley, 37, walked in while Copeland and Steven Sheppard, then-18, were robbing the store, court records say.

On Aug. 26, 2020, Copeland was charged as an adult with murder and robbery. Copeland and his codefendant Sheppard, who also faces murder and robbery charges, are scheduled to go on trial Jan. 31.

Ron-Ricco Allen Duncan, currently 20.

Ron-Ricco Allen Duncan was 17 whenprosecutors say he fatally shot Gerald Beamon Jr., 18, at a vacant home in the 3200 block of North Ruckle Street on the north side.

Officers found Beamon's body on April 1, 2019. Prosecutors charged Duncan with murder and armed robbery on Sept. 12, 2019. His trial is scheduled for April 4.

Dejuan Taylor, currently 18.

Dejuan Taylor was 16 when prosecutors say he shot and killed Elijah Taylor, 16,on Nov. 17, 2019, at a west-side apartment complex. Dejuan Taylor is accused of shooting Elijah Taylor while attempting to rob him of a Play Station 4 and a phone. Dejuan Taylor is not related to Elijah.

Dejuan Taylor was charged on Dec. 18, 2019, with murder, robbery and dangerous possession of a firearm. His jury trial is scheduled for March 21.

Andy Rosales Orellana, currently 19.

Andy Rosales Orellana was 17 on Oct. 9, 2019, when prosecutors sayhe and others were involved in the death of Meliton Angel Salazar, 22.

Salazar was found badly beaten under a bridge over the White River off West Washington Street and died later at a hospital. Rosales Orellana was charged with murder and robbery on Jan. 13, 2020.

Fernando Bornstein, 20, and Jacqueline Lizarraga, 21, were also charged with murder in Salazar's death, records show. Lizarraga and Rosales Orellana have hearings scheduled for March 29.

Bornstein is scheduled to go on trial for murder on March 29. Bornstein was 18 at the time of Salazar's death.

Lei Gamble, currently 18.

Lei Gamble was 17 on Sept. 1, 2021, when prosecutors say he and Isaiah Davie-Franks shot Israel Eduardo Raymundo Cruz, 45, in the 4200 block of North Post Road in Lawrence. Raymundo Cruz died on Sept. 6.

Gamble was charged with murder, robbery, pointing a firearm and carrying a handgun without a license on Sept. 7. A jury trial is scheduled for Feb. 28.

Isaiah Davie-Franks, currently 16.

Isaiah Davie-Franks was 16 on Sept. 1, 2021, when prosecutors say he and Lei Gamble shot Israel Eduardo Raymundo Cruz, 45, in the 4200 block of North Post Road in Lawrence. Raymundo Cruz died on Sept. 6.

Davie-Franks was charged with murder, robbery, resisting law enforcement, battery by bodily waste and carrying a handgun without a license on Nov. 9. A jury trial is scheduled for Feb. 28.

Contact WRTV reporter Vic Ryckaert at victor.ryckaert@wrtv.com or on Twitter: @vicryc.