UPDATE: 17-year-old to be tried as adult in Middletown murder case

UPDATE @ 12:11 p.m.

A 17-year-old charged in the shooting death of a Middletown man will have his case sent to adult court.

Camron Pawlowski’s case was sent to adult court during a hearing on Thursday morning. He faces charges of murder, burglary and robbery in connection to the shooting death of Michael Stewart II on Oct. 12, 2019.

INITIAL REPORT

Two teen boys, both charged in connection with the shooting death of a Middletown man, will be in Butler County Juvenile Court today for a pre-trial hearing.

A 15-year-old boy was charged last week with murder, burglary and robbery in the Oct. 12 shooting death of Michael Stewart II on Ninth Avenue. The teen is housed in the Butler County Juvenile Detention Center. Cameron Kyles, 18, and a 17-year-old were previously charged in connection to the homicide.

The 15-year-old appeared before a magistrate in juvenile court last week and was ordered to remain in detention, along with the 17-year-old. Both will appear before Visiting Juvenile Court Judge Thomas Lipps today.

MORE: Court docs: Third teen charged in Middletown murder made sure victim was home 

Because of the 17-year-old’s age and the seriousness of the charges, it would be a mandatory bind-over to adult court if the judge finds probable cause in the case. For the 15-year-old, bind over to adult court is up to to the judge’s discretion, but prosecutors indicate they will request the teen be tried as an adult, according to court documents.

According to the complaint filed by Middletown detectives, the Cincinnati boy conspired with others to steal marijuana and money from Stewart.

The juvenile and others went to the Stewart residence with a loaded gun and “(the 15-year-old) went into 812 Ninth Ave. to see if Michael Stewart was inside his house alone,” according to the complaint.

After leaving the residence, the teen met with another suspect and gave him the “OK” sign, according to the complaint.

That is when another suspect later identified as Kyles entered the residence, shot Stewart and stole from the house.

The 17-year-old allegedly drove the 15-year-old and Kyles to the Stewart’s residence and parked in an alley, according to court records. Kyles then went into the house, shot Stewart and stole cash and marijuana, investigators say.

MORE: Police: Middletown murder suspect tracked with ankle monitor he was wearing for 2 other indictments 

Kyles was indicted Oct. 18 by a Butler County grand jury on for aggravated murder, aggravated robbery, aggravated burglary, felonious assault and having weapons under disability for the death of Stewart, according to the indictment. He is scheduled to be arraigned this morning on the indictment in Butler County Common Pleas Court.

Evidence, including guns and a plastic bag of bullets, were found and seized by police at the teen’s residence.

Kyles confessed to the fatal shooting of Stewart, according to court documents. According to a search warrant affidavit signed Hughes, after police found Stewart dead at his home, Kyles was developed as a suspect.

At the time Kyles was also wearing a court-ordered ankle monitor for an indictment in a drug case and for participation in a gang. Both indictments were handed down in the summer.

Hughes said in the search warrant that “it is believed that through GPS of ankle monitor that this will confirm the series of events on the date of Michael Stewart’s death.”

Kyles was taken into custody at a Sharon Court address after detectives tracked his ankle monitor, according to court documents. Seized in a search of that residence was a counterfeit $100 bill, a cellphone, electronics and money.

Reeve said Stewart’s shooting is part of ongoing gang activity. Kyles is believed to be part of the Road Runner gang that has been involved in shootings and homicides in the city in recent years.

MORE: $1 M bond set for teen charge with murder in Middletown

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