Ohio man arrested after 2 missing teens found dead in rubble from house fire

TOLEDO, Ohio (TCD) -- A 24-year-old man is accused of kidnapping and killing two missing juveniles who were found dead in the rubble of a house fire.

According to Toledo Police, Ke’Marion Wilder, 16, and Kyshawn Pittman, 15, were last seen in early December going to a party together. According to WTOL-TV, the two teens attended a party Dec. 3 at the Maumee Bay Resort but were reportedly kicked out because they were armed. They were picked up in an SUV and went to Wilder’s girlfriend’s home on the 500 block of Maumee Avenue.

Wilder and Pittman were reportedly seen on a video chat call in the girlfriend’s basement that same night around 9 p.m. The girlfriend reportedly lives with her uncle, Corbin Gingrinch, and Carrissa Eames. Gingrinch and Eames were later arrested, along with Cyrstal LaForge-Yingling, on charges of obstruction of justice, WTOL reports.

On Dec. 5, a vacant home in north Toledo caught fire. On Dec. 15, Toledo Police Lt. Dan Gerken announced two bodies were found in the burned-down home. The Lucas County Coroner’s Office positively identified the bodies as those of Pittman and Wilder but said the cause of death is still under investigation.

At a press conference, Gerken announced Toledo Police arrested Cruz Garcia on two counts of kidnapping, and they planned on arresting his friend Diamond Rivera for obstructing justice. Court documents allege Garcia "assaulted the juvenile victim with a gun, tied up the juvenile, and led the juvenile to a waiting vehicle."

According to another court document, Garcia allegedly moved the victims to the 3000 block of Chase Street between 10:51 p.m. and 11:03 p.m. on Dec. 3, and returned to the home "multiple times before the house was destroyed by arson on Dec. 5."

Lucas County court records show Garcia has now been charged with two counts of murder and his bond is set at $2.25 million.

MORE:

• Missing Juvenile, 12/5/2022 - Toledo Police Department
• TIMELINE: Toledo missing teens case - WTOL
• Three charged with obstructing justice after questioning about missing Toledo teens - WTOL
• Search for missing teens leads to site of north Toledo arson, two bodies found - WTOL
• KYSHAWN PITTMAN AND KE'MARION WILDER - Lucas County Coroner's Office
• WATCH: Toledo police discuss search for missing teens at site of arson, two bodies found - Toledo Police Department via WTOL
• Cruz Garcia court case information