Bond set for teens accused of shooting up a funeral

TOLEDO, Ohio (WTVG) - The three teens indicted by a Lucas County Grand Jury for shooting up a casket at a Toledo funeral appeared in court Friday.

According to court records, the grand jury indicted Keith Hobbs, Kaveon Jones, and Lupe Hernandez III in December in connection to the 2021 shooting of a casket outside of River of Life Church on Upton. A judge ordered the three teenagers to be tried as adults in November. Hobbs and Jones are facing nine counts of felonious assault with three year gun specifications. Hernandez is facing nine counts of complicity in committing felonious assault with three year gun specifications.

Hobbs and Jones entered not guilty pleas on Friday. A judge set their total bond at $90,000 no 10% allowed for both Hobbs and Jones, setting their pretrial dates for Feb. 24. Hernandez did not enter a plea so he will be back in court before the pretrial date for the other two charged in the shooting. A judge also set his total bond at $90,000 no 10% allowed.

Three people were hurt when the suspected gunmen allegedly fired dozens of shots into a crowd outside of the church during the services for Lawrenczel Larell Taylor III in December of 2021. Lucas County Prosecutor Andy Lastra told 13abc last month officials don’t know why the casket was the focus of a shooting.

“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 that Hernandez never pulled the trigger, but was the driver for those that did.

“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.

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