Ohio State Football Coach Carjacking: 18-Year-Old Ja’Brian Howard and Two Juveniles Accused in Crime Spree on Cleveland’s East Side

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18-year-old Ja’Brian Howard and Two Juveniles Indicted for Crime Spree in Cleveland’s East Side

In a significant development, an 18-year-old man, Ja’Brian Howard, along with two juvenile teens, has been indicted by a grand jury for engaging in a crime spree across Cleveland’s east side on December 11. The indictment, returned on Tuesday, also includes charges related to the alleged carjacking of an Ohio State football coach, which has attracted widespread attention.

Cuyahoga County Prosecutor Michael C. O’Malley has announced that Ja’Brian Howard now faces a total of 20 charges stemming from a series of incidents primarily occurring on December 11. Additionally, two underage boys aged 15 and 17 have been indicted in juvenile court. Furthermore, two other women are facing lesser charges directly linked to the sequence of events surrounding the crime spree.

The case originated last week when police confirmed that an assistant coach from Ohio State University had been carjacked in the parking lot of the Ginn Academy while on a recruiting visit. The victim, identified as 28-year-old tight ends coach Keenan Bailey, reported that a teenager approached him around 2 p.m. on that Monday and forcefully stole his rented Dodge Durango at gunpoint. Authorities were able to trace the victim’s iPad, which was found cracked on the ground at some distance away, along with his passport and suitcases.

According to O’Malley’s office, the carjacking against Bailey was just the first in a series of similar crimes that occurred within a span of two hours. Just 30 minutes after the initial robbery, officials allege that Howard and the two underage boys threatened to kill a woman parked in her driveway near East 103rd Street and Elk Avenue, along with her three children. However, the woman managed to escape by speeding away and promptly calling the Cleveland police. Meanwhile, the three suspects fled in Bailey’s Durango.

Fifteen minutes later, prosecutors claim that the teens approached a 67-year-old woman, with one of them brandishing a gun, near Parkwood Drive and Bryant Avenue while she was sitting in her car. Once again, the woman managed to drive away and contact the police, while the suspects fled from the scene.

It was not until 4 p.m. when officers spotted the stolen Durango on Lakeview Road, with Ja’Brian Howard, the two underage boys, as well as 19-year-old Anyrie Wallace and 18-year-old Aringwa Harris, inside. The group allegedly evaded multiple red lights and stop signs while being pursued by a Cleveland police helicopter. Eventually, they abandoned the vehicle on Whitmore Avenue and attempted to flee on foot. Four of them were apprehended at the scene, while Harris was identified later.

On Wednesday, Howard and Wallace appeared in Cleveland Municipal Court, where they were both held on six-figure bonds. Additionally, prosecutors have linked Howard to a separate incident that occurred on November 1. Witnesses reported that Howard fired several gunshots and assaulted a 61-year-old man who was accompanied by his 6-year-old son at an ATM machine. The victim handed over cash before defending himself by firing his own gun, hitting Howard in the stomach and one of the 15-year-old suspects in the arm. More shots were exchanged before Howard and his alleged accomplice fled in another car, believed to be stolen.

Cuyahoga County Prosecutor Michael C. O’Malley stated, “This case demonstrates the amount of destruction we are seeing being caused by a small group of individuals. Thankfully, the Cleveland Division of Police was able to apprehend these individuals quickly.”

All the suspects will be arraigned at a later date. The charges against Ja’Brian Howard include four counts of aggravated robbery, four counts of robbery, four counts of attempted kidnapping, two counts of felonious assault, two counts of failure to comply with an order or signal of a police officer, discharge of a firearm on or near prohibited premises, improperly discharging a firearm at or into a habitation or a school safety zone, improperly handling firearms in a motor vehicle, and receiving stolen property.

In addition, Anyrie Wallace and Aringwa Harris are each facing charges of improperly handling firearms in a motor vehicle and receiving stolen property.

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