Murder, assault charges dropped in May 25 slaying

6/7/2014
BY TAYLOR DUNGJEN
BLADE STAFF WRITER
Tyler Jones
Tyler Jones

Murder and felonious assault charges pending against a 19-year-old Toledo man were dismissed Thursday, though he remains in custody on a new charge.

The murder and three felonious assault charges against Tyler Jones, of 2719 Brentwood Ave. in Toledo Municipal Court were dropped “for evidentiary consideration.” The charges had not been presented to a Lucas County grand jury.

Police said Mr. Jones is “still a person of interest” but that the Lucas County Prosecutor’s Office, after further reviewing evidence, “decided to withdraw the charges.”

“It’s up to the prosecutor,” said police Sgt. Joe Heffernan. “They’re the one that has to try the case, so in situations like this, we have to make sure we have the best possible evidence to present at the time we have to present it.”

Mr. Jones was accused of killing Sheymarr Noble, 22, and wounding Davon Ballard, 26; Emerson Ware, Jr., 27, and Terrelle Russell, 27, all of Toledo, in the 2100 block of Joffre Avenue in the central city during an afternoon shooting rampage May 25.

Despite the dropped charges, Mr. Jones remained in the Lucas County jail Friday in lieu of $500,000 bond for an unrelated felonious assault charge filed Tuesday in Toledo Municipal Court.

Police allege that Mr. Jones was involved in a May 1, 2013, shootout with a man known as “Tomcat” at the Greenbelt Place Apartments in North Toledo. During the shootout, two toddlers were struck by bullet fragments. Injured were Yealaysia Williams, 1, and Kaiejah Williams, 2. The girls are not related.

According to court documents, the shootout was caught on the apartment complex’s security system.‍

A preliminary hearing is scheduled for Tuesday.

Contact Taylor Dungjen at tdungjen@theblade.com, or 419-724-6054, or on Twitter @taylordungjen.