CLEVELAND, Ohio — Three teens facing murder charges as adults denied the allegations Wednesday, and a judge set their bonds as high as $1 million.
The boys, who were 14 and 15 at the time of the slaying, are accused of opening fire on a home in Cleveland’s Slavic Village neighborhood and killing Kentada Todd on Oct. 9, 2023. Todd, a grandmother, was sleeping when a bullet struck her.
Authorities said Todd, 48, was taken to an emergency room and died later that day. Another man in the home was grazed.
The three youths — Tremayne Davis, 17, Qumaurie Conner and Carvell Ayers-Moore, both 15, — pleaded not guilty on Wednesday. They appeared via zoom from juvenile detention facilities. Cuyahoga County Common Pleas Judge Peter Corrigan set the bonds of Davis and Conner at $1 million. Corrigan ordered Ayers-Moore held on a $500,000 bond. The cases were assigned to Judge Kelly Ann Gallagher. The three are from Garfield Heights.
Prosecutors said they drove to Todd’s home in a stolen silver Hyundai. They then got out and opened fire on the home before fleeing the scene, prosecutors said.
The teens were initially charged as juveniles. Earlier this month, a county grand jury indicted them as adults.
According to an indictment, the three youths are facing murder charges. Conner and Davis are also accused of aggravated murder. Each teen has also been charged with multiple counts of felonious assault.
The three are also charged with improperly handling firearms in a motor vehicle and receiving stolen property. Moore is also facing two charges of not stopping for a police officer.
Cleveland.com and The Plain Dealer has reached out to attorneys for the three teens for comment.