Weekend murder suspect arrested

SOUTH TOLEDO - A murder suspect is in jail after Toledo Police state he killed a 16-year-old over the weekend. FOX Toledo broke the news on foxtoledo.com early Monday morning just an hour after the suspect, James Leroux, was placed in cuffs.

Twenty-three year old Leroux was picked up Monday morning at a gas station near Manhattan Boulevard and I-280. Detectives say he is the triggerman in the fatal shooting of Luis Ruiz early Sunday morning.

The murder suspect was charged with one count of murder. He was arraigned Tuesday morning on $500,000 bond.

According to the Lucas County Jail, Leroux has a lengthy record. In the past he's been charged with domestic abuse and assault.

Witnesses originally gave Toledo Police a false story stating Ruiz was the victim of a drive by shooting. But after further investigation detectives told FOX Toledo that was the opposite of what they believe really happened.

Background of Events

According to booking records from a domestic violence charge in June of this year, Leroux lived in the 500 block of Walsh.

FOX Toledo News was the only news organization to speak to Leroux's father near the scene Sunday morning. He said he had just found out about the allegations, and didn't think his son would kill anyone. He refused to say anything more before contacting a lawyer.

Toledo police and fire crews responded to the shooting just after midnight Sunday morning and found the victim in the 2100 block of South Ave., near Walsh Street.

Officers found the teen at the front door, where they report people were trying to perform CPR. The teen was taken to Toledo Hospital where he later died.

A neighbor said she heard teenagers arguing before seeing police show up, but didn't hear any gunshots.

A woman who identified herself as "Mama May" lives at the house and woke up to screaming right around midnight. At first, she said the other teens thought the victim had been beat up because he was covered in blood. Soon, she said, they realized he'd been shot, and when he collapsed on the floor, they called 9-1-1 and started CPR.

Choking back tears, she told a group of journalists she did everything she could.

"Mama May" said it's not unusual for her kids and their friends to play videogames or burn CDs at her home.

She said she was under the impression that the victim was walking back from a nearby store when he was shot, then ended up in her home.

Investigators say that's not the case -- and that the shooting happened on the second floor of her house.

FOX Toledo's Allison Brown contributed to this report.