LIMA — Pre-trial conferences were held Monday in Allen County Juvenile Court for three of four young county residents charged with murder in the June 10 shooting death of Lima resident Jaden Halpern.
A hearing for the remaining juvenile suspect is scheduled for Aug. 11.
There is speculation that at least two of the juveniles, and perhaps all four, will be bound over to Allen County Common Pleas Court to be tried as adults.
The juveniles charged are Kayrese Garner, 17; Bryanna Houston, 17; Brianna Patrick, 15; and Roselyn Thomas-Lewis, 15. All four reside in Lima or surrounding communities and each is preliminarily charged with murder, aggravated burglary and aggravated robbery.
Garner and Houston are the most likely to be tried as adults, sources said.
Two 18-year-olds have also been charged with murder in Halpern’s death. Jaquan Glenn, of Lima, and Keion Darden, of Louisville, Kentucky, appeared in Lima Municipal Court last month and saw their cases bound over to Allen County Common Pleas Court for presentation to a grand jury.
Lima Police Department Detective Steve Stechschulte testified at the preliminary hearings for Glenn and Darden. He described events that led to police being called to 764 W. Lane Ave. in Lima on the morning of June 10.
Halpern, 17, was found dead inside the residence. A preliminary autopsy report from the Lucas County Coroner’s Office revealed he died as the result of a single gunshot wound, Stechschulte said.
The detective said Glenn told police he had “picked up a couple of females” earlier that morning and took them to a residence on East Fourth Street. The group, which included Glenn, Darden and the four juveniles, then drove to the Lane Avenue residence with the intent of committing a robbery. Stechschulte said the females attempted to lure Halpern outside the home in hopes of carrying out a robbery. When that failed, two males attempted to force their way inside the home because Halpern was believed to have a large quantity of marijuana and some guns inside the home.
Glenn told the detective two males carrying replica weapons got to the threshold of the home when they were engaged by Halpern.
“A shot was fired and everybody ran,” Stechschulte testified.
The single bullet struck Halpern in the right side of his abdomen. He was found already deceased and lying on a bed inside the home, according to the detective.
