Four from Lorain charged with February robbery, shooting of boy, 15

Four men accused of robbing and shooting a 15-year-old boy in Lorain two months ago are facing multiple serious felony charges in Lorain County Common Pleas Court. Aarion Chambers of West 24th Street; Caleb Crawford of Oberlin Avenue; Malachi Jackson of Lexington Avenue; and Braylen Levenhagen of East 32nd Street all were indicted Wednesday by a Lorain County grand jury. All are 18 years old. Chambers, Crawford and Levenhagen are charged with two counts each of aggravated robbery and two counts of felonious assault, all with firearms specifications. Chambers and Levenhagen also are charged with one count each of tampering with evidence, with both charges carrying a firearms specification. Jackson is charged with two counts each of aggravated robbery, two counts of felonious assault, and one count each of tampering with evidence and receiving stolen property, all felonies. All but the stolen property charge have firearms specifications. Levenhagen pleaded not guilty at his arraignment Thursday. His case is assigned to Judge Chris Cook. Chambers will be arraigned Monday in Cook's courtroom. Crawford and Jackson will be arraigned April 30 in Judge Christopher Rothgery's courtroom. Chambers and Levenhagen were being held in the Lorain County Jail on $150,000 bond each. Crawford and Jackson are free after posting bond. If convicted on the firearms specifications, the four defendants could face additional mandatory prison time with no possibility of early release. Lorain police said officers were called to the 300 block of West Ninth Street about 8:30 p.m. Feb. 23 for a report of a boy, 15, with multiple gunshot wounds. Officers found a Honda Accord with a broken window parked outside a house there. When they looked inside, they saw blood on the driver's seat and center console. The teenage victim was found inside the house and told officers he had been driving when he was shot multiple times. He was transported to University Hospitals' Rainbow Babies and Children's Hospital in Cleveland for treatment of injuries that were not life-threatening, police said. Police learned the shooting happened in the 1300 block of Reid Avenue, about one-third of a mile away from the West Ninth Street location. The investigation led officers to Jackson's house on Lexington Avenue, where they found Jackson, Chambers, Levenhagen and "multiple" guns, including one police said had been reported stolen. Police eventually charged Chambers, Crawford, Jackson and Levenhagen with the crime. Police said it appeared the victim was targeted.Contact Dave O'Brien at (440) 329-7129 or dobrien@chroniclet.com.