Staff Writers
HARRISON TWP., Montgomery County — Investigators believe 17-year-old Brandon Moore, a Northridge High School student and football player, brutally beat his former girlfriend early Saturday, then purposely walked into the path of traffic on Interstate 75, where he was struck and killed.
The Montgomery County Coroner’s Office ruled Monday, Aug. 31, that Moore’s death was a suicide. The coroner ruled that Moore, a junior, died from multiple, massive blunt force trauma, a spokesman said.
The Ohio State Highway Patrol said Moore was walking south on I-75 at 12:37 a.m. Saturday when he was hit by a Chevrolet Cobalt driven by Arnita Pitts of Houston, Texas. Moore was pronounced dead at the scene.
Minutes before he died, sheriff’s investigators believe he entered his former girlfriend’s home, dragged her outside and beat her with a concrete tabletop. Another teen staying at the victim’s home found her in the yard with the tabletop on her back shortly after midnight. The victim had severe bruising and swelling to her face and could barely open her eyes, according to the report.
The 16-year-old girl, whom the Dayton Daily News is not identifying, told a sheriff’s deputy she believed her assailant was drunk, according to the deputy’s incident report. She said he came into her house uninvited and dragged her outside.
The victim told police she was punched several times, but did not recall much after that. She said she did not recall being struck with the tabletop.
She remained in serious condition Monday at Miami Valley Hospital with two fractured vertebrae in her neck, her mother said.
“We’re hoping there’s no paralysis,” the mother said. “But ... she’s a young girl, she’s a healer. If this happened to a 30-year-old woman, a 40-year-old woman, this would be different.”
The mother said the victim and Moore had been a couple until a few days prior to the incidents. She also said Moore had beaten her daughter before.
Moore had appeared in Montgomery County Juvenile Court on Thursday, Aug. 27, on burglary and criminal damaging charges, a court official said Monday. Moore admitted to one count of criminal damaging, court administrator Jim Cole said. The burglary charge was dismissed. Cole said he did not know where the damaging occurred.
Cole said Moore was not on probation and that there were no other files on him; however, a sheriff’s report shows Moore allegedly had beaten his father in their Keats Drive home last September. Moore, then 16, allegedly threw his father to the floor and punched him with a closed fist after his father told his 12-year-old son to “man it up” and quit complaining about a shoulder injury.
The mother of the 16-year-old girl said Moore had been suspended from school last week, but Northridge officials declined to confirm that, saying a student’s disciplinary records are private. But they said Moore, a member of the football team, did not attend Friday night’s loss to Bethel just hours before his death.
High School Principal David Jackson said the school called in extra counselors Monday for grieving students.
“We’re making it,” Jackson said. “We’re a family and we’re pulling together, comforting one another and taking care of one another. There’s a lot of sorrow and hurting, but we’re doing fine.”
A memorial service for Moore is set for 7 p.m. Wednesday at the Crossroads Church of God, 6213 Miller Lane, preceded by a gathering for friends that starts at 4 p.m.
Contact this reporter at (937) 225-7408 or agottschlich@DaytonDailyNews.com.
1 comment:
Cathy,
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