Stolen police cruiser deaths: Who is Raymond Walters?

The man named by police as the suspect in the theft of a police cruiser that crashed into multiple vehicles, killing two children and injuring 10 other people, has been out of prison less than a month.

Before the cruiser theft and deadly crash, Raymond A. Walters is suspected in the stabbing of his father in a black pickup truck on Xenia Avenue in Dayton on Monday evening, then crashing the truck on Airway Road in Riverside a short time later.

At the truck crash scene, officers said he got into the Riverside police SUV and fled into Dayton, where he crashed into vehicles outside the Dayton Metro Library. Two 6-year-old girls died in the crash, and 10 other people reportedly suffered injuries.

Walters was incarcerated at Lebanon Correctional Institution in August 2017 for a felony robbery conviction, according to Ohio Department of Rehabilitation and Correction records. Walters was released Aug. 10 and was placed on supervised release, also known as parole, for three years.

Walters has previous convictions for felony theft, drug possession (morphine) and robbery. He also was previously charged with felony assault and other offenses, but the charges were dismissed.

Credit: MONTGOMERY COUNTY JAIL

Credit: MONTGOMERY COUNTY JAIL

After being released from Lebanon this month, Walters moved in with his father, Lloyd “Bear” Walters, on Boltin Street.

Video obtained by WHIO and the Dayton Daily News shows an injured Lloyd Walters escape from the truck on Xenia Street after he was stabbed.

Jason Butts, who said he and Lloyd Walters are longtime friends, said Raymond Walters Jr. had used drugs since returning home. He also was at times delusional, talked about seeing demons.

Butts said he contacted parole officials multiple times because he was worried Raymond Walters Jr. would kill his father.

Raymond Walters Jr. was a nice guy at times, Butts said, but other times he said he was going to kill people and talked about suicide by police, Butts said.

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