Lorain police arrest boy, 16, charge him with murder in shooting death of man, 67

Lorain police on Saturday arrested a 16-year-old boy and charged him with murder for allegedly shooting and killing an elderly man. The suspect is charged with murder and was being held in the Lorain County Juvenile Detention Home in Elyria, Lorain police spokesman Capt. Jake Morris said in a news release. Police did not immediately identify the suspect because he is a juvenile. No photograph was immediately available for the same reason. The news release said that at approximately 8 a.m. Saturday, Lorain police officers responded to a residence in the 2700 block of G Street on the city's northeast side after a family member reported finding Robert Lewis, 67, dead in his bed. Lewis had a gunshot wound to the head. Detectives responded, investigated and learned that the 16-year-old boy had been staying with Lewis overnight while the boy's parents were away. A witness told police they saw the boy driving away from the house in Lewis' vehicle in the early morning hours. Lorain police used Flock automated license plate reader cameras to track the vehicle and the suspect to North Olmsted within 30 minutes of discovering Lewis' body, Morris wrote. The North Olmsted Police Department arrested the boy — a "rapid response ensured that the suspect was taken off the streets swiftly, preventing any further potential harm to the community," Morris wrote. There was no indication that an argument or altercation took place prior to the shooting, and the gun believed to have been used in the killing was found at the victim's home, Lorain police said. Anyone with information on the killing is asked to call the Lorain Police Department Criminal Investigations Bureau at (440) 204-2105. Lorain police thanked North Olmsted and other departments for their assistance. "While automated license plate reader technology has been a subject of recent public debate, this case highlights its profound operational value," Morris wrote. "The seamless integration and real-time alerts provided by the Flock camera network allowed law enforcement to track the vehicle efficiently." Contact Dave O'Brien at (440) 329-7129 or dobrien@chroniclet.com