15-year-old boy accused of fatally shooting man who was charged with beating up the boy’s mother

A 15-year-old boy is accused of fatally shooting a man who was charged with beating up the boy’s mother, WXIX-TV reported, citing Cincinnati police.

Levonte Hyde, 30, was found shot several times in the 1600 block of Pasadena Avenue around 12:45 a.m. Thursday, the station said, citing police.

The woman and Hyde began to argue when Hyde called her a vulgar name, and then ‘Hyde then began to hit [the] victim in the face several times with a closed fist while driving.’

Hyde was taken to the University of Cincinnati Medical Center with life-threatening injuries but died later Thursday morning, WXIX said.

The teen was taken into custody as a person of interest, and police charged him with murder later that day, the station said, citing a police news release.

The teen suspect appeared in Hamilton County Juvenile Court Friday where the prosecutor said he fired 12 rounds at Hyde, WXIX reported.

The teen denied charges, WWLT-TV said.

“He had time to find a firearm, open a safe, retrieve that firearm, and waited for the victim to arrive, and ultimately ended up firing 12 shots when the victim did succumb to his injuries,” said Tatyana Reintjes, assistant prosecutor, according to WWLT.

The teen also is one of the sons of a woman who accused Hyde of domestic violence, WXIX reported, citing police spokesman Lt. Jonathan Cunningham and a Hamilton County Prosecutor’s Office spokesman.

Police filed court records Thursday saying the woman and Hyde are the “co-natural parents of two children,” WXIX said, adding that the teen accused of fatally shooting Hyde is not Hyde’s son.

A warrant was issued Thursday for Hyde’s arrest on a misdemeanor domestic violence charge, WXIX said, citing Hamilton County Municipal Court records.

Police also asked a judge to issue a temporary protection order requiring Hyde to stay away from the woman, WXIX said, adding that an officer referred to the woman in court records as the “victim” and noted that she had visible injuries to her face.

The woman told police that Hyde punched her in the face several times Thursday as they drove to a store, WXIX reported, citing an affidavit.

The woman and Hyde began to argue when Hyde called her a vulgar name, and then “Hyde then began to hit [the] victim in the face several times with a closed fist while driving,” WXIX said, citing a sworn statement from police.

Hyde’s previous record

Hyde in July 2017 was charged with assault and criminal damaging, WXIX said, citing other court records. In that case, a different woman told Cincinnati police that Hyde bit her forearm, which left visible marks, and damaged a TV, wall, and door after kicking them at a residence, WXIX said, citing an affidavit. The woman refused medical treatment, WXIX said, citing a police account in the court record, and the assault charge against Hyde was dropped the following year. Hyde was convicted of the criminal damaging charge in 2018 and sentenced to 90 days in jail with 33 days suspended and credit for 57 days, WXIX said. A judge ordered Hyde to stay away from the woman and pay $110 in fines and $240 in restitution, WXIX said. Hyde was placed on probation for 11 months, but WXIX said that was terminated in 2019 when he failed to pay the money owed. Hyde unsuccessfully attempted to have the charge expunged from his record after the amount was paid, WXIX reported, citing the court docket.

Hyde in 2022 was charged with theft regarding the sale of a dog, but WXIX said that charge was dismissed in early 2024.

Now what?

A magistrate ruled that the teen suspect must stay in the detention center or shelter care pending his next hearing, which is expected to be March 3, WXIX said.

“There was obviously something going on in the young man’s head that a court could take into consideration in sentencing and probably would,” legal analyst Mike Allen told WXIX.

Allen added to WXIX that “obviously” there was a “relationship” between Hyde and the teen, which “obviously [was] not a good one, and [the teen] alleges that this individual beat his mother. And again, that’s something a judge can take into consideration in sentencing.”

The court also scheduled a hearing to determine if the teen’s case should be sent to adult court, WXIX reported.

You can view a video report here on the incident.

Like Blaze News? Bypass the censors, sign up for our newsletters, and get stories like this direct to your inbox. Sign up here!