East Toledoan slain after skirmish at Halloween party

11/1/2006

An East Toledo man was killed yesterday as he was removing a south-end man from a Halloween party, and the suspect was hospitalized after he apparently was beaten by other party-goers after the shooting, authorities said.

Rojelio Compos, 29, of 848 Utah St., was shot in the chest outside a duplex at 1132 Greenwood Ave. on the city's east side, police said. He died at St. Charles Mercy Hospital.

The suspect, James S. Cole, 47, of 213 Dale St., was taken to Toledo Hospital after he was assaulted. A hospital spokesman said she had no information on a patient by his name.

Mr. Cole was charged with murder. He was not being held in the Lucas County jail last night. He will be booked into the jail when he is released from the hospital.

Police said Mr. Cole and his girlfriend - with whom he has an off and on relationship and is a relative of the Compos family - were out drinking before they went to the family party, where they got into an argument about 4:20 a.m.

The argument escalated and Mr. Cole was asked to leave. Mr. Compos removed Mr. Cole from the duplex, but Mr. Cole kept trying to get back in. Mr. Compos started pushing Mr. Cole down the street; Mr. Cole pulled out a handgun and began shooting, police said.

Police said he fired two shots into the air and a third that hit Mr. Compos in the chest. Partygoers detained and apparently assaulted Mr. Cole, who was found lying on the street in front of 1225 Greenwood, police said.

Mr. Compos, who was found lying on the sidewalk near 1132 Greenwood, died about an hour later at St. Charles.

His ex-wife, Christina Compos, stood in front of the duplex where she lives and the party was held. She pointed out where her ex-husband, whom she said was known as Roger, collapsed on the sidewalk.

Mrs. Compos cradled in her hand a strip of photos of her ex-husband and their 7-year-old son that she pulled from her purse. She said Mr. Compos grew up in East Toledo, in the area of Oak and Fassett streets, and has many relatives and friends.

Capt. Ray Carroll said no other charges have been filed in the incident, which remains under investigation. He said police recovered a 25-caliber handgun at the scene.

Neighbor Don Collins said he was sleeping when gunshots awakened him. He looked out his bedroom window and saw many people outside and said it looked like they were fighting.

The retiree who has lived in the neighborhood for four years said he was surprised to hear of the homicide, the 29th in the city this year. "This neighborhood is usually pretty quiet."

Chris Bailey, who lives across the street in his parents' house, said he heard many people yelling and then gunshots, but didn't see the shooting. He said he saw some people leaving in vehicles afterward.

"[Mr. Compos] was just lying there and the people around him were crying," the 18-year-old said.

No one was home at Mr. Cole's address on Dale. His criminal record includes a few misdemeanor convictions in Toledo Municipal Court, including one for assault.

Contact Christina Hall at:

chall@theblade.com

or 419-724-6007.