Three juveniles, ages 13, 14, and 17, are charged with murder in the fatal shooting of 17-year-old Jaycion Bennett on July 4.
TOLEDO, Ohio — Three juveniles have been arrested for the homicide of 17-year-old Jaycion Bennett on July 4, which the Lucas County Prosecutor’s Office said happened during a gun sale.
The juveniles, ages 13, 14, and 17, are facing murder charges for fatally shooting Bennett, which the prosecutor’s office says happened while they were on probation.
Patricia Wardrop, deputy chief of the prosecutor’s office’s juvenile division, could not comment directly on the case, but did say she feels like there has been an increase in minors involved in serious crimes and explained how those cases are handled under Ohio law.
“Sadly, to us, if you’re a 15-year-old without a gun, it seems odd because we see them so much,” she said.
Wardrop said the increase in violent cases is leading to more juveniles being transferred to adult court.
“Because the crime is so much more serious, we are doing more transfer of cases,” she said. “But it’s really because of the nature of the cases.”
Under Ohio law, juveniles as young as 14 can be charged as adults. For 14- and 15-year-olds, the court must first find probable cause, then determine whether the child can be rehabilitated before they turn 21.
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“Are they amenable to juvenile justice? Would we be able to rehabilitate them in the time frame allowed?” Wardrop said. “It’s extremely important we get it right, because we don’t want to send someone out into the world who hasn’t been rehabilitated.”
At ages 16 and 17, some crimes are eligible for mandatory transfer. That means the court has to prove probable cause and the teens automatically are tried in adult court.
Wardrop said the court uses a Serious Youthful Offender designation, which gives juveniles a dual sentence of juvenile and adult, providing one last chance to turn things around.
Shawn Mahone Sr., founder of the Young Men and Women for Change/Change Academy, said the system needs to step up and support families.
“There are a lot of parents that are crying out for help,” Mahone said. “They’re running to the system asking if there’s anything out there that can help their child that may be heading down the wrong road.”
He added that accountability must start at home and within the community.
“We have to address the elephant in the room,” Mahone said. “There’s nothing wrong with tough love when you’re doing it out of love.”
This article was published by Silver Barker on 2025-07-09 00:08:00
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