Suspect in student shooting appeals bond

Accused in 2018 shooting death of Harvey High School student

The suspect in the 2018 shooting death of Harvey High School student Yorry Timley seeks to lower bond.

The suspect in the October 2018 shooting death of Harvey High School student Yorry Timley is seeking a lower bond.

Christian Falu, who turned 18 on Feb. 26, is being held in the Lake County Jail on a $500,000 bond with a 10 percent cash option. Falu was transferred from the Lake County Juvenile Detention Center to the adult jail on Feb. 1, shortly after Lake County Juvenile Court Judge Karen Lawson ruled that Falu would be tried as an adult.

A bond hearing in front of Lake County Pleas Court Judge John P. O’Donnell is set for March 4 according to court records.

Falu was arrested Oct. 30 following the Oct. 19 death of 16-year-old Timley. Paramedics found Timley face down on the floor of an apartment at 595 Mentor Ave. in Painesville.

Painesville Detective Jason Hughes said at a Jan. 28 hearing that four juveniles (including Falu and Timley) were drinking alcohol, smoking marijuana and playing with a handgun to celebrate a birthday at the apartment, where Falu’s cousin lived.

At the hearing, Hughes described a Snapchat video that allegedly showed Falu playing with the gun. Another of the boys, not Timley, was holding a magazine for the gun that he showed on the video. Later that night, the suspect allegedly pointed the gun at Timley’s chest and pulled the trigger.

The gun used in the shooting was never recovered. Hughes said that Falu took them to where he hid the gun in the aftermath of the shooting, a grill in the backyard of a home. When he returned with police, the gun was gone. A shell casing that had been thrown into a sewer grate was recovered, Hughes said.

Falu spoke to Painesville police on three occasions prior to his arrest. Hughes said at the hearing that the suspect’s story changed over the course of their investigation, adding details that had previously not been stated.

Falu is facing one count of reckless homicide and three counts of tampering with evidence. Because he is being tried as an adult, he faces a maximum of 12 years in prison.

In a memorandum filed with the court, Falu’s attorney Timothy S. Deeb wrote that Falu was cooperative and willing answer police questions in the lead up to his arrest.

Even after Falu knew that charges would be filed against him, he never attempted to flee the area, Deeb said.

“When the warrant was issued, Mr. Falu was exactly were law enforcement knew him to be and was taken into custody willingly,” Deeb wrote.

Deeb said Falu has significant ties to the area, having lived in Lake County for seven years and has both immediate and extended family in the area.

“Additionally, his family does not have the resources to leave the area even if he wanted,” Deeb said. “He is currently unemployed, but would like to continue his education. The defendant is not a flight risk.

Deeb said that Falu is willing to “whatever reasonable restrictions the court seems fit to ensure his appearance in court.” Falu is seeking a bond set at $5,000 with a 10 percent cash option, according to the memorandum.

Falu