CLEVELAND — Bond was withheld for a man facing capital murder charges for the deaths of four people, including his own son.
Armond Johnson pleaded not guilty to 26 counts for his role in the murder of four people in Cleveland's Slavic Village neighborhood earlier this month. The indictments include 14 counts of aggravated murder, making the case capital-eligible. He could face the death penalty if convicted.
Johnson is the father of one of the children who died, 6-year-old Armond Johnson, Jr. The others killed in the incident include 2-year-old Aubree Stone and 25-year-old Takeyra Collins. Their neighbor, 35-year-old David Cousin Jr., was found shot to death outside.
The situation began when Cousin Jr. was found shot in the head and chest in a vacant field near E. 63rd Street. Police say they believe Cousin was in the wrong place at the wrong time when he encountered Johnson.
When police began knocking on doors to find potential witnesses, officers could see the bodies of both children through a window of a nearby home. Once inside, officers also found the body of Collins, who had been shot in the back and stomach.
Police say evidence of arson was found at the scene, including accelerant and a heavy smell of smoke. The Cuyahoga County Medical Examiner’s Office determined that Collins’ two children died as a direct result of the fire.