Dalton J. Diaz, a 54-year-old man of Hispanic ethnicity from Columbus, Ohio, was tragically shot and killed on August 23, 2019. Diaz was found unresponsive inside his Toyota RAV4, which had crashed into playground equipment outside the Driving Park Community Recreation Center. Despite being rushed to OhioHealth Grant Medical Center, he was pronounced dead from his injuries that day.
An investigation by Columbus homicide detectives revealed that Diaz had been buying and selling
electronics online through apps like LetGo, OfferUp, and Craigslist. It is suspected that he may have been the victim of a robbery. Diaz's GPS had a last-entered address on the 1100 block of Columbus Street, where detectives believe he may have arranged to meet someone prior to the shooting. Evidence showed that a bullet entered his RAV4, going through the back of the driver's seat and Diaz himself. Diaz attempted to drive away but crashed into a playground area near the recreation center.
On July 7, 2021, nearly two years after Diaz's death, Columbus police arrested 18-year-old Ameir Trent, who had just turned 17 at the time of the shooting. Trent was charged with delinquency counts of aggravated murder and aggravated robbery and was held at the Franklin County juvenile detention center on a $100,000 cash bond. Franklin County prosecutors have filed a motion to transfer Trent's case from Juvenile Court to adult Common Pleas Court, as Ohio law mandates such a transfer when a judge finds probable cause that a juvenile committed murder and was at least 16 at the time of the crime.
Diaz's widow, Katherine Diaz, expressed relief and hope following Trent's arrest. The couple had been married for 29 years and had moved to Columbus from New York City over a decade earlier. Katherine Diaz, a research information scientist at Abbott Laboratories, described her late husband as a generous person and an accomplished jazz pianist who ran his own electronics business.
The investigation continues, and prosecutors are working to build a case against Trent, including obtaining a DNA sample to match evidence found at the crime scene. Diaz's family has partnered with Central Ohio Crime Stoppers to offer a $1,000 reward for information leading to an arrest or indictment.
In summary, Dalton Diaz, a 54-year-old Hispanic man, was fatally shot during what appears to be a robbery attempt while buying and selling electronics. His alleged killer, Ameir Trent, was arrested and charged, and the case is ongoing as prosecutors seek to transfer it to adult court.
