Mother and 12-Year-Old Son Shot to Death Inside Car, Suspect Turns Himself In
Mother and 12-Year-Old Son Shot to Death Inside Car, Suspect Turns Himself In
On March 28, 2026, at approximately 8:10 p.m., officers responded to multiple 911 calls reporting a shooting near 30 West Wilbeth Road in Akron, Ohio. Upon arrival, they located a vehicle that had crashed into a tree line on Hemlock Street, partially engulfed in flames.
Inside the vehicle, officers found a 12-year-old boy suffering from gunshot wounds. He was pronounced dead at the scene at approximately 8:34 p.m. The driver of the vehicle, an adult woman, had also been shot and was transported to Cleveland Clinic Akron General Medical Center, where she was pronounced dead at approximately 8:50 p.m.
The victims were identified as 12-year-old Jericho L. Mangual and 47-year-old Tania Mangual.
A 2-year-old child, also inside the vehicle at the time of the shooting, was not injured. The child was transported to Akron Children’s Hospital as a precaution.
A witness who lives nearby reported seeing the crash and stated that the vehicle was on fire underneath, with flames coming from the engine area. Investigators observed charred ground and branches at the crash site.
During the incident, dispatchers also received a 911 call from a 49-year-old woman who reported that she had been shot and fled the scene. The information she provided helped detectives identify 28-year-old Brandon T. Casto as the suspect.
Detectives later executed a search warrant at an apartment connected to Casto, where they recovered multiple firearms, firearm accessories, and a large quantity of ammunition.
Investigators determined that Casto told others he was leaving the Akron area. He later turned himself in more than 100 miles away in Meigs County and is currently being held at the Southeast Regional Jail in Nelsonville.
Casto is facing two counts of aggravated murder and two counts of felonious assault.
Authorities have not released a motive or clarified Casto’s relationship to the victims. The Akron Police Department Major Crimes Unit continues to investigate the circumstances surrounding the shooting.
