This weekend, Akron police arrested a man wanted for murder, felonious assault and abuse of a corpse. He now faces an additional charge of aggravated menacing.
Romeo Thomas, 29, with a last known address of Delia Avenue in Akron, was arrested Sunday night after police responded to a fight on Brighton Drive.
According to a police report, when officers arrived at the apartment building at about 10:30 p.m. they could hear arguing in an upstairs apartment. As officers approached the apartment, the occupants quieted down. When officers knocked on the door a woman inside yelled for help. Officers forced the door open and observed a man later identified as Thomas attempting to flee out the rear door. He was arrested.
Police discovered a warrant was out for his arrest in the Aug. 1, 2015, murder of a man in a late-night gas station shootout near Copley Road and Orlando Avenue. More than two dozen shots were fired between two black vehicles: a Chrysler 300 and a 2004 Infinity.
The Infinity, allegedly driven by Thomas, fled the gas station. A passenger in Thomas’ vehicle was struck by a bullet. That passenger, James Tyler, 27, was later found dead.
His body was discovered in the devil strip in the 700 block of Peerless Avenue, about 10 blocks away from the shooting incident.
The abandoned car was found hours later by Richfield police with bullet holes outside and blood inside.
An injured 21-year-old man was discovered by Akron police in the Chrysler at the gas station.
Thomas remains in Summit County Jail. He will be arraigned Tuesday morning.
Marilyn Miller can be reached at 330-996-3098 or mmiller@thebeaconjournal.com. Follow her on Twitter @MarilynMillerBJ .