Lakewood Man Sentenced to 21 Years in Prison for Killing Cleveland Woman

A 22-year-old Lakewood man was sentenced to 21 years in prison on Friday for killing a 44-year-old Cleveland woman following a shootout between two rival gangs last year.

L’Ddaryl Ellis, of Newman Avenue, was found guilty of murder, involuntary manslaughter, aggravated riot and discharging a firearm near a prohibited premises.

He had faced life in prison at his sentencing Friday.

Cuyahoga County Common Pleas Judge Janet Burnside sentenced Ellis to 15 years for the murder charge, and an additional six years for the gun specifications.

Ellis is a member of the 86th Street Quincy Boys gang, according to Maria Russo, the spokeswoman for the Cuyahoga County Prosecutor’s Office.

That gang had been in “multiple altercations” with its rival gang, the 95th Street Boys, during the past five years. 

The two gangs clashed in a shootout on E. 95^th Street on March 14, 2012.

A stray bullet broke through the home of the 44-year-old female victim, Elissa Hereford, striking her in the leg. She later died as the result of her injuries.

After a four-day bench trial, Burnside found Ellis guilty of a host of charges, including murder, last month.