A 20-year-old Ohio man died less than two weeks after he pleaded guilty to attacking a 17-year-old who allegedly raped a 5-year-old, Cleveland.com reported.
Investigators suspect that Richard Adams had died of a drug overdose but the toxicology tests have yet to be completed.
When Adams’s girlfriend laid down beside him in bed at around 11:30 p.m. local time, she discovered that he was not breathing and unresponsive.
Despite the efforts of emergency services in attempting to revive him, they were unable to do so.
On April 10, Adams made a plea deal to a lesser charge of felonious assault in relation to the attack on the 17-year-old boy.
He told investigators that attack on the 17-year-old was in defense of the 5-year-old.
Instead of receiving a harsher charge, Willoughby Municipal Court Judge Marisa L. Cornachio ordered Adams to enter a diversion program as part of the plea deal.
Prosecutors want to try the 17-year-old boy in adult court for rape.
Adams’s uncle raised over $40,000 on his GoFundMe page, saying he plans on donating it to charity for abused children.
‘This Guy is a HERO!’
According to reports, Adams walked into a room in the home and found the teen sexually assaulting the 5-year-old boy. Adams attacked the teen, making him stop. Later, both Adams and the teen were arrested.
The Eastlake Police posted a brief statement about the incident on their Facebook page, writing:
“On March 21, 2019, Eastlake Police responded to the area of E. 363th Street for a report of an assault. Officers arrived and after an investigation arrested Richard Adams, 20, of Painesville. He was charged with Felonious Assault. The victim was 17 years old. As this investigation is ongoing, no further details will be released at this time.”
Several people have commented on the post, with many calling Adams a hero.
“This guy is a HERO!” one person wrote.
Another person commented, “HE’S A HERO!!!! HOW CAN U ARREST HIM!!!!! SET HIM FREE!!!!”
“Guy should be given a medal by the city,” another person wrote.
Others commented about the details of police protocol.
“If the story plays out the way it’s told then I think this kid acted on a natural instinct. Unfortunately it is a protocol for the cops to arrest when there’s been assault, hence they were both arrested,” one person wrote. “If the story plays out though I’m pretty sure though either lower the charger drop it anybody that would walk in on something like that is going to do something if not they’re just too sick.”
Another commented, “Cops have facts and evidence we don’t. Eastlake does a good job of protecting and serving. The job of a police officer is to collect evidence and turn it over to a prosecutor to make a decision in a case like this. It is up to the court to weigh the facts of the case. More to this story..support the police.”
“He committed a crime, his mug shot is public record and Facebook is a public forum. Regardless of how morally justifiable his actions were what he did was a crime and the police have a job to do. I believe I read on here that they released him on a personal bond, that means he did not have to pay any money to bond out,” another person wrote.
He added, “The department basically took him into custody, booked him and released him without a monetary bond amount. That is at the discretion of the officer/department and they didn’t have to do that but given the circumstances I see why they did. He’ll have his day in court and given the circumstances, the charges will most likely amended or possibly dropped.
“Everyone on here is acting like they were there and know exactly what happened because someone on here thinks they know what happened. Let the detectives do their job and if he indeed was doing that to this 5-year-old he’ll be punished and held accountable. It’s not this 20-year-olds job to take the law into his own hands regardless if the creep deserved it or not. If he indeed walked into this guy molesting a 5-year-old then that action in itself would have stopped the crime but he acted like a vigilante and now will have to deal with that,” the commenter continued.
When Adams’s uncle created a GoFundMe campaign to raise funds for his attorney fees, several people who donated also called him a hero.
“Thank you for your actions. You do not deserve any time! You’re a hero,” one person wrote, adding a heart emoji at the end.
Another commented, “You saved that little boy and was his angel that day! I commend you for your actions. Praying for you.”
“If it was my son you defended I’d pay all of your legal fees. I hope you get everything you need. You’re a hero in my book!” another wrote. “Never hesitate to defend or turn your back on the defenseless. If there were more people in this world like you, it just might be a little bit safer.”
Epoch Times reporter Tiffany Meier contributed to this article.
