Birk said the victim was shot multiple times and died at the scene. His body was on the sidewalk curb when officers arrived. While no gun was recovered, police officers found more than 20 casings in the area, according to Birk.
Denzel C. Fuller, 22, was tracked down by police and taken into custody in an apartment in the 600 block of Lafayette Avenue. He is charged with murder, Birk said.
Fuller is scheduled to be arraigned Wednesday afternoon in Middletown Municipal Court. He was previously arrested in September 2017 for the robbery and assault of a pizza delivery driver on Hill Avenue in Middletown, according to court records. He pleaded guilty to robbery, a third-degree felony, in Butler County Common Pleas Court.
Birk credited the work of the police department and neighbors for providing officers leads on Fuller’s whereabouts. He was arrested fewer than three hours after the shooting.
It takes “a partnership with the community,” the chief said.
The victim’s name won’t be released until the Butler County Coroner’s Office has performed an autopsy and notified his family, Birk said.
Martin Schneider, coroner’s office administrator, said the autopsy will be conducted Wednesday.
It was the city’s first homicide of the year, Birk said this morning during a press conference. He said the city averages three to four homicides a year.
There are no other suspects. If anyone has additional information, contact Detective Brook McDonald at (513) 428-7745 or (513) 425-7700.
