Family indicted in overdose that killed 13-year-old Columbus boy

COLUMBUS, Ohio (WCMH) – Four suspects police claimed were involved in a family drug ring have been indicted in connection to a 13-year-old boy's death from a drug overdose in west Columbus.

According to court documents, Ema Loza De-Leon, Jose Garcia Huerta, Lezly Avila and an underage boy, are facing dozens of charges stemming from the boy's death on Sept. 5, 2023, in a North Hilltop home. Officers found the child in the 200 block of North Warren Avenue, where he reportedly overdosed on a combination of cocaine and fentanyl.

Police at the scene observed packaged narcotics in plain sight, and detectives obtained a search warrant. They ended up seizing around eight kilograms of drugs, including fentanyl, cocaine, methamphetamine and crack cocaine. Additionally, two firearms were recovered.

Detectives, in conjunction with the Ohio Narcotic Intelligence Center, examined several electronic devices, which led to three subsequent drug seizures.

On Nov. 9, a semi-tractor trailer was stopped on its route from California to Ohio. Police said they arrested Israel Garcia after 15 kilograms of cocaine were discovered in the cab of the truck. Garcia told police that he once had delivered 17 kilograms to the fourth underage suspect at the direction of De-Leon.

De-Leon was then arrested on Jan. 10 following a traffic stop. Police said a felony amount of drugs were found in De-Leon’s possession.

Two weeks later, two kilograms were seized during a search near the 100 block of Dering Avenue in the Far South neighborhood of Columbus.

Investigators said the evidence collected revealed that the suspects were allegedly running a drug trafficking organization. Their charges break down as:

• Ema Loza De-Leon is facing 27 felony charges, including involuntary manslaughter and 12 counts each of trafficking in drugs and possession of drugs.

• Jose Garcia-Huerta is facing 20 total felony charges, the majority of which are trafficking in drugs and possession of drugs.

• Lezly Avila is charged with 14 felony drug charges.

Garcia Huerta and Avila’s charges include a second incident from 2022, in which three other suspects are named: Joseph Mercado, Gildardo Sanchez Quezada and Yeslin Melgar Maldonado. All three face similar charges.

The fourth suspect was 17 years old at the time of the boy's death. A juvenile warrant was issued for involuntary manslaughter. Now 18, a juvenile prosecutor will ask a judge to transfer the case to Franklin County Court of Common Pleas. Police said that if the motion is granted, the suspect will face similar charges to that of Loza De-Leon.

All suspects have pleaded not guilty to all charges, which include either a firearm specification, a major drug offender specification, or both.