CLEVELAND — An 18-year-old has been indicted on Thursday for the murder of Cleveland police detective James Skernivitz along with another man. Two other adults have also been charged for their roles in the homicide.
In a release, Cuyahoga County Prosecutor Michael O'Malley announced that David McDaniel was indicted on four counts of Aggravated Murder, two counts of Murder, two counts of Aggravated Robbery, two counts of Felonious Assault, and one count of Tampering With Evidence.
Two others, Brittany Cremeans, 24, and Antonio Darby, 27, were also charged with two counts of Obstructing Justice and one count of Tampering With Evidence.
Prosecutors say on September 3, McDaniel and two juveniles, 17 and 15, approached Skernivitz's vehicle near the area of W. 65th Street and Storer Avenue and fired multiple shots, striking both Skernivitz and 50-year-old Scott Dingess, before running away. Both victims were taken to a nearby hospital where they were pronounced deceased.
The investigation connected McDaniel and the two juveniles to the crime. McDaniel and the 17-year-old were arrested on September 6. The 15-year-old was arrested on September 8. The investigation also revealed that Cremeans and Darby lied about their roles to law enforcement and helped dispose of the suspected murder weapons.
Both juveniles face numerous charges in Juvenile Court that include Aggravated Murder, Murder, Aggravated Robbery, and Felonious Assault. Both juveniles have denied the charges and remain incarcerated at the Juvenile Detention Center. Their next court date is scheduled for October 27.
“Sadly, these types of random, senseless homicides happen in our community nearly every day. This time the victims were a police officer on duty to make our community a better place and a citizen who volunteered to assist him,” said Prosecutor O’Malley. “Two families are now without fathers and the entire community is left heartbroken due to yet another instance of senseless gun violence.”
McDaniel is currently being held at the Cuyahoga County Jail on $3,000,000 bond. He is scheduled to be arraigned at the Cuyahoga County Justice Center on Tuesday, September 22 at 8:30 a.m. Cremeans and Darby will be arraigned on October 1 at 8:30 a.m.