Hearing set for juvenile accused in shooting death

A preliminary hearing is scheduled for the juvenile accused of shooting and killing Harvey High School student.

A preliminary hearing is scheduled Nov. 26 for the juvenile accused of shooting and killing 16-year-old Harvey High School student Yorry Timley.

Timley was killed Oct. 19 in the 500 block of Mentor Avenue in Painesville. The 17-year-old juvenile suspect was arrested Oct. 30 following an investigation by Painesville police.

He was arraigned the following day by Lake County Juvenile Court Judge Karen Lawson on one count of reckless homicide and three counts of tampering with evidence.

Nov. 26 is the first of two likely upcoming hearings for the suspect. At the preliminary hearing, the court will decide if there is probable cause that a crime has been committed and that he is the one who committed it.

If probable cause is found, a second hearing will be held and Lawson will determine whether he is “amenable to care or rehabilitation in the juvenile system.” If she determines he is not, the case will be bond over to the adult court.

A date for that hearing has not yet be set.

If the 17-year-old is tried as an adult, he faces a maximum of 12 years in prison. If the case remains in the juvenile court, he can be held until his 21st birthday. The suspect is less than half-a-year away from turning 18.

The juvenile court bound a few cases over to the adult court this year.

Among those is the case of Michael Petro of Willowick, who committed a pair of robberies in late 2017 and early 2018.Petro pleaded guilty in October to two counts of robbery and one count of felonious assault. All three charges are second-degree felonies. Petro, now 17, was 16 when the crimes were committed, He is set to be sentenced by Lake County Common Pleas Court Judge Richard L. Collins Nov. 29.

Another case bound over to the adult court earlier this year involved a 17-yearold Richmond Heights gang member. Jonathan Roebuck was sentenced to 18 years in prison for a pair of armed robberies in Western Lake County that occurred Dec. 16, 2017.

He was sentenced after pleading to three counts of robbery plus firearm and gang specifications. He faced a maximum of 34 years in prison.

A co-defendant in one of those robberies, Monte Smedley of Cleveland, also had his case bound over to the adult court. Smedley was sentenced to six years in prison after pleading guilty to felony robbery with a three-year gun specification. He was 16 at the time of his sentencing.

In response to Timley’s death, First Church Congregational in Painesville is holding a rally Nov. 25 to end gun violence. The public is invited to the event that will run from 4 to 6 p.m. at the 22 Liberty Street church.

The event will include a candlelight vigil at 5:45 for victims of gun violence and their families in the area and around the country.

Those who have a family member who has been a victim of gun violence are asked to contact one of the organizers to participate. A brief reception will follow in the Social Room of the church.