Crime
7-year-old Oaklynn Alexander found safe, suspect Charles Alexander killed in officer-involved shooting in Medina
The 7-year-old girl was immediately taken into protective custody at the scene and reunited with her family.
A statewide Amber Alert ended in tragedy Monday night when a 43-year-old suspect was fatally shot in an “officer-involved shooting,” according to the Medina County Sheriff’s Office.
Authorities confirmed that the 7-year-old girl, Oaklynn Alexander, who had been abducted earlier in the day was safely rescued and returned to her family.
The suspect, identified as Charles Ryan Alexander, the girl’s non-custodial father, reportedly took her from her home in Empire, Ohio, after an argument.
According to the Columbus Dispatch, Alexander initially fled with the child in a Ford F-150 before switching to a U-Haul truck.
Law enforcement eventually tracked the U-Haul to Brunswick, Ohio, where Brunswick police first located the vehicle around 8 p.m.
They attempted a traffic stop, but Alexander fled, leading authorities on a high-speed chase southbound on I-71 toward Medina County.
The chase concluded when Alexander pulled into a parking lot off SR-18 in Medina Township.
Officers and deputies surrounded the vehicle and attempted to negotiate with Alexander, who was reportedly armed and speaking with dispatch centers by phone.
Despite efforts to de-escalate the situation, the standoff ended in gunfire, resulting in Alexander’s death.
The 7-year-old girl was immediately taken into protective custody at the scene and reunited with her family.
The Medina County Sheriff’s Office and the Ohio Bureau of Criminal Investigation are now conducting a thorough investigation into the events surrounding the shooting and the Amber Alert.
On November 8, 2024, the Milwaukee County District Attorney’s Office filed a criminal felony charge against Christian Martin, 18, in connection with the October 28 fatal shooting of 15-year-old Nelson Manuel López Correa, who died days later from a gunshot wound to the head.
Following the filing of charges, a felony arrest warrant for Martin was issued on Monday, November 11.
Martin is charged with first-degree intentional homicide with the use of a dangerous weapon. If convicted, he faces a sentence of life in prison without the possibility of parole.
According to the criminal complaint, López Correa was with a girl he was dating and another male teen near the 1600 block of W. Forest Home Avenue when Martin, who had previously dated the same girl, approached them.
The complaint states that Martin had spoken to the girl the previous day, but upon seeing her with López Correa, he allegedly initiated a conversation with her.
She reportedly told him she no longer wanted to date him, at which point Martin struck her on the side.
As she and López Correa stood by a bus stop, Martin allegedly shot López Correa from behind, causing the girl to flee to a nearby gas station.
Police recovered surveillance footage from the scene, showing Martin allegedly shooting López Correa and the girl running from the area.
The other male teen who was with López Correa told police he had briefly gone home to check the bus schedule.
As he was returning to the bus stop, he heard a gunshot and saw López Correa fall, at which point Martin had reportedly fled.
In the wake of López Correa’s tragic death, his family is organizing a “Justice for Nelson Manuel López Correa” peaceful march on November 16, 2024, to raise awareness and call for justice.
The gathering will begin at 9:30 a.m. at S. 16 Street and W. Forest Home Avenue. Around 10:40 a.m., participants will march to the Milwaukee Police Department’s District 2 Station at 245 W. Lincoln Avenue in Milwaukee.