Crime
Toddler Kozzar Lotut, Melissa Campbell and Gale Sanders Found Dead in Gnadenhutten, Ohio
GNADENHUTTEN, Ohio — Authorities have identified three people, including a 22-month-old boy, who were found dead with apparent gunshot wounds inside a residence in Gnadenhutten, Tuscarawas County, Ohio, early Wednesday morning.
The Tuscarawas County Coroner’s Office identified the deceased as Kozzar J. Lotut, 22 months; Melissa E. Campbell, 51; and Gale F. Sanders, 67. Their bodies were transported to the Cuyahoga County Medical Examiner’s Office for autopsies, according to a statement released Thursday.
The cause and manner of death for all three individuals remain pending. Authorities have not yet disclosed the circumstances that led to the deaths or announced whether anyone has been charged.
According to the Tuscarawas County Sheriff’s Office, the investigation began at approximately 4:17 a.m. Wednesday when the county’s 911 dispatch center received a hang-up call.
The call disconnected almost immediately and did not provide a location that dispatchers could trace directly.
In a statement, the sheriff’s office said dispatchers attempted to call the number back several times. During one of those calls, a voice could reportedly be heard softly saying the word “help.”
Dispatchers and deputies made multiple attempts to trace the phone and establish its location. Investigators later learned that the device might be in the 200 block of North Cherry Street in Gnadenhutten.
The sheriff’s office said the phone’s owner initially indicated that it was a spare device he had loaned to an associate.
Authorities said a family member was eventually located and unlocked the door to the residence, allowing responders to discover the three deceased individuals inside.
The victims consisted of one child, one adult man and one adult woman. According to the sheriff’s office, all three appeared to have suffered gunshot wounds.
A firearm was also recovered at the scene, officials said.
Investigators have not publicly established how the three individuals died, whether the deaths were connected to one another or what circumstances preceded the discovery. The presence of a firearm does not, by itself, establish how it was used or who may have been involved.
The Tuscarawas County Coroner’s Office ordered autopsies to help determine the cause and manner of death for Lotut, Campbell and Sanders.
In its Thursday statement, the office said the investigation remained ongoing and that additional information would be released when available and appropriate.
Officials have not announced a definitive cause of death for any of the three individuals.
The identities of the deceased have now been released, but important questions surrounding the incident remain unanswered as investigators continue examining evidence and interviewing people connected to the case.
The Tuscarawas County Sheriff’s Office acknowledged that investigators still have significant work ahead, including interviewing multiple people and examining evidence collected at the scene.
Despite the ongoing investigation, the sheriff’s office expressed confidence that the broader community was not in danger.
“There are many people to interview and much to do with evidence from the scene but I feel strongly that the community is in no danger,” the sheriff’s office stated.
No further details about a possible suspect, motive or sequence of events were included in the information released.
The investigation into the deaths of Kozzar J. Lotut, Melissa E. Campbell and Gale F. Sanders remains active. Authorities say additional information may be released as the investigation progresses and as appropriate.
Crime
Ihor Demianenko Identified as Driver in North Hollywood Crash That Killed 3 and Critically Injured 2, Held on $6 Million Bail
NORTH HOLLYWOOD, LOS ANGELES — A 61-year-old driver has been arrested on suspicion of driving under the influence after a vehicle crashed into pedestrians and street vendors near a Metro station in North Hollywood, killing three women and injuring two others.
The driver, identified as Ihor Demianenko, is being held on more than $6 million bail. In addition to the suspected DUI offense, he is facing three counts of murder in connection with the deadly crash, according to authorities.
The collision happened shortly before 6 p.m. Tuesday near the Metro station on North Lankershim Boulevard, close to Chandler Boulevard, during the evening rush hour.
According to the Los Angeles Police Department, Demianenko was driving a white minivan southbound on Lankershim Boulevard at what investigators described as an unsafe speed. The vehicle reportedly veered off the roadway and struck several pedestrians and food vendors on the sidewalk.
Demianenko became trapped inside the minivan and had to be extricated by emergency responders. He was taken to a hospital with minor injuries before being arrested on suspicion of felony DUI.
Three women were pronounced dead at the scene. The LAPD confirmed that the victims were 40, 53 and 69 years old. Their identities had not been publicly released in the information available.
Two additional women, believed to be between 50 and 55 years old, were struck and transported to a hospital in critical condition.
The crash occurred in an area where street vendors regularly sell food and other items near the Metro station entrance and exit. Witnesses told local media that at least two of the women who died were longtime food vendors who had worked in the area for years.
The deaths have deeply affected commuters, customers and neighborhood residents who regularly encountered the women.
People familiar with the vendors described them as friendly and generous community members who welcomed customers and sometimes provided food even to people who could not afford to pay.
A growing memorial appeared near the crash site Wednesday as people stopped to pay their respects and remember the women.
Joseph Portillo, who said he saw the vendors regularly, expressed sadness over their deaths and the impact on their families and children.
Another vendor, Noe Orozco, told local media that he worked alongside the women and regularly dropped them off in the morning and picked them up later in the day. He said he had just picked them up as usual when he came upon the devastating crash scene and discovered that one of his colleagues had died.
The Los Angeles Police Department continues to investigate the circumstances surrounding the collision, including the events leading up to the minivan leaving the roadway.
Demianenko remains in custody on more than $6 million bail. He has been arrested on suspicion of DUI and is facing three murder counts.
The investigation remains ongoing as authorities work to establish the full sequence of events that led to the deaths and injuries.