Police investigate fatal June shootings

9/19/2006

Two victims of unrelated shooting incidents in June died Sunday and yesterday, increasing the city's 2006 homicide total to 15, Toledo police said.

Dr. James Patrick, Lucas County coroner, said the deaths of Jerome Saxton, 22, of Toledo, who died Sunday, and Brett Mayne, 55, of Toledo, who died yesterday, were being investigated as homicides.

"You really feel for the families and the individuals," Toledo police Chief Mike Navarre said.

Chief Navarre said Antoine Tuggle, 22, who was free on bond in connection with Mr. Saxton's shooting, was arrested again last night. He said police are looking for help in Ms. Mayne's case.

Mr. Saxton, who was shot in the head June 5, died at 3:02 p.m. Sunday at Waterford Commons Nursing and Rehabilitation Center, Dr. Patrick said. He said pellets were still lodged in Mr. Saxton's head at the time of his autopsy yesterday.

Mr. Tuggle, of 4337 Debra Ct., was arrested in June for Mr. Saxton's shooting and was indicted by a Lucas County grand jury on two counts of felonious assault. Chief Navarre said he expected new charges to be presented today to a county grand jury.

Officers reported that shots were fired into Mr. Tuggle's Debra residence at 2:49 a.m. yesterday. Chief Navarre declined to comment on whether he thought the shooting was linked to Mr. Saxton's death.

Police had said events that led to Mr. Saxton's shooting began at a near-downtown bar and continued to the 1400 block of Lincoln Avenue.

Mr. Saxton was in the driver's seat of a vehicle on Lincoln when several people sitting on a porch at a nearby house walked down the street and shot the victim. Police said the car went around the corner and crashed into a pole at Oakwood and Smead avenues where police found Mr. Saxton.

Ms. Mayne, who was shot and critically wounded at her residence June 11, died at 4 a.m. yesterday at Arbors at Sylvania Subacute and Rehabilitation Center, Dr. Patrick said. He said an autopsy was performed on Ms. Mayne and the case remained under investigation.

Police continued to seek tips about Ms. Mayne's case. Authorities said they believe juveniles were breaking out car windows just past midnight in the 500 block of Austin Street when police believe one of them fired a shotgun toward Ms. Mayne's porch window as she looked outside her porch window.

She suffered 12 pellet wounds in the face and chest area at the time, police said.

Chief Navarre said detectives are following up several leads, but officers need the public's help to solve the case. He said police have no suspects in the case at this time.

- CLYDE HUGHES