Nationwide — Brandon Casto, a 28-year-old white man from Akron, Ohio, has been arrested and is being held on a $3 million bond after a parking dispute that escalated into a deadly shooting. Police say he allegedly shot Tania Mangual and her 12-year-old son, Jericho Mangual, who both died.
According to Atlanta Black Star, police responded on March 28 to multiple 911 calls reporting gunfire in a residential neighborhood in Akron, Ohio. When officers arrived, they found a car that had crashed into a tree and was burning. Victims were inside the vehicle.
Investigators discovered a 12-year-old boy and a woman in the car. The boy died at the scene, while the woman was rushed to the hospital but later died from her injuries. A 2-year-old child was also inside the vehicle and survived without injuries.
Authorities identified the victims as 47-year-old Tania Mangual and her son, Jericho Mangual. Officials said the violence began after a parking disagreement outside a duplex where Mangual and her family were staying.
An eyewitness, Sabrina Glover, said Mangual had parked in a driveway that blocked a car belonging to a resident of the duplex. She said a confrontation started over the parking situation and quickly escalated.
Police say Casto arrived at the scene armed with a handgun and confronted Mangual while she was inside her car. Witnesses reported that he fired multiple shots into the vehicle during the confrontation, striking both Mangual and her son.
After the shooting, Casto allegedly turned his weapon toward Glover, who ran for safety as surveillance footage captured the pursuit. He fired at her but missed, and she survived by falling to the ground and pretending to be dead.
Casto later fled more than 180 miles to southern Ohio before surrendering to police near the West Virginia border. Investigators said he contacted friends and family admitting involvement and was later taken into custody.
Police searched a property linked to him and recovered multiple firearms and ammunition. City officials and school leaders expressed condolences following the tragedy. The victims’ family set up a GoFundMe campaign to help with funeral expenses. It has so far raised over $13,000.