Three teenage boys accused of shooting up a casket will be tried as adults

TOLEDO, Ohio (WTVG) -A judge orders three teenage boys to be tried as adults for allegedly shooting up a casket at a funeral. Three people were injured but dozens of people were caught in the hail of bullets.

The shooting happened last year on Upton outside of River of Life church.

“We don’t know why the casket was the focus of a shooting,” said Assistant Lucas County Prosecutor Andy Lastra.

The teens are charged with nine counts of felonious assault with a gun specification attached to each count. Lastra says the evidence is pretty substantial as two of the suspects unleashed a dozen of shots into the crowd.

“Keith Hobbs and Kaveon Jones ran behind the houses across the street from the church on Upton to the intersection at Mansfield and Upton avenue and took a position in the intersection and started firing shots down the street on Upton at the cars as they were trying to leave,” said Lastra

He says people couldn’t back up.

“They were driving literally in a hail of bullets. The first car that was leading contained a six-year-old- boy who, to this day, is terrified,” said Lastra.

Investigators say the third suspect never pulled the trigger.

“There is no evidence which specifically says that Lupe Hernandez was a shooter. Our position is that if he had not been in a stolen SUV out of Oregon, driven to Start High School, picked these two up, and then went to the church, but for him being directly involved, perhaps it would not have happened,” said the prosecutor.

The three teens between the ages of 17 and 18 years old were released on a $90,000 bond, put on house arrest, and ordered to wear ankle monitors. 13abc reached out to their lawyers for comment but has yet to hear back.

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