Man charged in Rockingham slaying

12/13/2003

A central Toledo man was arrested yesterday and charged with the shooting death last month of a man who was sitting in a parked car.

Donnie Ray Hughes, 42, of 311 Rockingham St. was charged with one count of murder for the Nov. 17 death of Kenneth Allen Young. Hughes was being held in the Lucas County jail last night pending an arraignment Monday in Toledo Municipal Court.

Young, 23, of 1915 Walnut St. was shot as he sat in a car in the driveway of 325 Rockingham. He suffered two gunshot wounds: one to his head, the other to his lower right chest. Both wounds were sustained at close range, Dr. Diane Barnett, a Lucas County deputy coroner, said.

Police arrested Hughes about 12:30 p.m. yesterday at his home without incident. He is also charged with a federal firearm violation that is unrelated to the homicide.

Police were sent to the Rockingham area Nov. 17 on a report of a man who was shot. They found Young s body in the driver s seat of the car. He was dead at the scene.

Police Lt. Rick Reed said yesterday that Hughes and Young had an argument earlier in the day. He was not sure what the quarrel was about.

No murder weapon has been recovered. Hughes did not make any incriminating statements to investigators when he was interviewed, the lieutenant said.

At the time of the shooting, detectives didn t say why Young was in the area. However, he grew up there and had friends in the area.

Hughes served time in a state prison on a robbery conviction, according to the Ohio Department of Rehabilitation and Correction Web site. He has also been convicted of other charges, including drug offenses and having a weapon under disability, court records indicate.

The homicide investigation is continuing, Lieutenant Reed said.