COLUMBUS, Ohio — Two men and a juvenile have been arrested and charged with murder after a fight at a Kroger in south Columbus earlier this month led to a man's death, police said.
According to the Columbus Division of Police, on Dec. 6 just after 7 p.m., Dionta Hughes, 18, Jamarion Evans-Bennett, 19, and Jayden Agee, 17, engaged in an altercation with other individuals inside a Kroger located at 3637 South High St.
The suspects were asked to leave the store by security. Once they went outside, a fight occurred between them and 53-year-old Donald Smith Jr.
According to court documents, officers arrived and found Smith suffering from severe head injuries. He was transported to Grant Medical Center in critical condition. On Monday, he died of his injuries.
Court documents state that the teens waited outside for Smith to exit the store, then assaulted him, knocking him to the ground. They then began to punch, kick and stomp on Smith. Smith was unconscious and bleeding from his head.
The suspects fled after a witness with a gun yelled at them, telling them to stop. The witness said the suspects were laughing and enjoying themselves while assaulting Smith, the document explains.
Hughes, Evans-Bennett and Agee were arrested Wednesday on murder charges.
The investigation into Smith's death is ongoing.
Anyone with information regarding this incident is asked to contact Detective Huffman at (614) 645-4146 or mhuffman@ColumbusPolice.org or to call Central Ohio Crime Stoppers at (614) 461-TIPS (8477).