Executive Summary
- Suspect Arrested: U.S. Marshals apprehended Leroy Taylor, 20, in Cleveland on Friday.
- Charges: Taylor faces aggravated murder charges related to an April 5, 2025, shooting.
- Previous Arrest: A co-defendant, Waymon Donat, was arrested in West Virginia in October.
- Incident Details: The fatal shooting involved an exchange of gunfire between two vehicles.
U.S. Marshals arrested a second suspect on Friday in connection with a fatal shooting that occurred in Cleveland earlier this year. The U.S. Marshals Northern Ohio Violent Fugitive Task Force (NOVFTF) apprehended 20-year-old Leroy Taylor in the 3900 block of Strandhill Road, executing a warrant for aggravated murder.
According to the Cleveland Division of Police, the charges stem from an incident on April 5, 2025, near East 55th Street and Cedar Avenue. Police officers responding to a reported vehicle crash discovered a car with bullet holes on the driver’s side. Inside, they found a male victim in the driver’s seat suffering from fatal gunshot wounds to the head and neck.
Investigators determined that the violence resulted from an altercation between occupants of two vehicles, which escalated into an exchange of gunfire. The NOVFTF reported that they adopted the fugitive investigation for Taylor, which culminated in his capture this week.
Taylor is the second individual arrested in this case. Authorities previously identified 19-year-old Waymon Donat as a suspect. Following a search that began in May, investigators received information that Donat had fled Ohio. He was subsequently located and arrested in Masontown, West Virginia, on October 8 by the U.S. Marshals Mountain State Fugitive Task Force.
In a statement regarding the arrests, U.S. Marshal Pete Elliott noted that the collaboration with local police has brought the case “one step closer to closure for the family of the victim.”
Investigative Next Steps
With both identified suspects now in custody, the investigation transitions from a fugitive search to judicial proceedings. The involvement of federal task forces highlights the logistical complexity often required to apprehend suspects who flee state jurisdictions. As the case moves to the Cuyahoga County Court of Common Pleas, prosecutors will likely focus on presenting evidence linking the defendants to the ballistic findings at the crash site. It is important to note that all individuals are presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.