SOUTH BEND — Sixteen-year-old Alyyus Enoexpettiford had just finished his freshman year at Riley High School . One moment he was hanging out with a group of friends during summer break and then next, he was shot and killed.
He was your typical teenage boy, Alyyus Enoexpettiford's father told St. Joseph County Deputy Prosecuting Attorney Michelle Golebiewski on Aug. 22 as he was informed this his son's case would be unsealed.
“He was very thankful for all the work that the South Bend Police Department had done in working this case,” Golebiewski said about Enoexpettiford's father, whom prosecutors chose not to identify. “He said Alyyus was a good kid. He never got into trouble.”
In a joint press conference on Aug. 22, the South Bend Police Department and the St. Joseph County Prosecutor's office addressed the homicide investigation, revealing that a forensic pathologist determined Enoexpettiford died from a gunshot wound to the head and the suspect in his murder has not been arrested.
Chief of Police Scott Ruszkowski said that Enoexpettiford’s family, the community and Riley High School students deserve answers.
The suspect in Enoexpettiford's murder is 19-year-old Derrick Myles. They didn't know each other, Prosecuting Attorney Kenneth Cotter said.
According to court documents, written by South Bend Police's Detective Jordan Acton, officers were called to the 500 block of East Victoria Street on June 14, around 5:45 p.m. on a report of shots fired and were waived down by witnesses. In the investigation, detectives determined that Enoexpettiford was with a group in the backyard of someone he was visiting when Myles approached them on his bicycle and accused some people in the group of damaging his relative's home. Witnesses told officers that Myles argued with Enoexpettiford, took out a handgun, fired once and ran away, leaving his bike behind, Acton said in court documents. Surveillance video was consistent with witness statements, the detective said.
“According to witnesses,” Cotter said, “Mr. Myles believes that our victim (Enoexpettiford) and the other kids that were there, threw rocks at his relative’s home and damaged the home. Alyyus tried to let him know, no we didn’t do that, and Mr. Myles didn’t like that answer and pulled out his gun and fired.”
Police found Enoexpettiford in the back yard shot in his head. He was transported to Memorial Hospital , where he was declared dead.
Officers examined Myles' bike with "unique features," court documents said, and they determined the owner of the bike and discovered that Myles lived with the owner. Myles was positively identified from photo arrays presented to witnesses, the detective said.
As to the answers Ruszkowski feels everyone deserves, he said, “We feel strongly that Mr. Myles can provide those answers that we’re looking for."
The St. Joseph County Prosecutor’s office filed two charges on July 11 against 19-year-old Myles for murder, for which if convicted he'll face 45 to 65 years for, and a firearm enhancement, which is an additional 5 to 20 years.
With 44 criminally assaulted shooting victims in 2024 so far, four fatal, according to the Police Transparency Hub , Acton commented on how to best resolve issues.
“Words are the best way to try to communicate issues,” he said.
He also suggested calling the police if you think property has been damaged. Vandalism can be handled through the legal system, Acton said. He doesn't believe this incident to be gang-related.
As of Aug. 22, Myles has not been found . His charges, previously sealed to give police enough opportunity to find him safely, Cotter said, were unsealed on Thursday.
The police department’s Lt. Kayla Miller said Myles has connections to South Bend and Chicago.
“He has moved to a couple of different places,” Cotter said.
“We’ve exhausted resources leading up today to try and locate him and at this time, we want to ask for our community’s help,” Miller said.
Cotter urged anyone with information regarding Myles' location to call 911, call the police department's non-emergence line at (574) 235-9201 or contact Michiana Crime Stoppers to place an anonymous tip at (574) 288-STOP.
“If you know where he (Myles) is, please let us know,” Cotter said. “Don’t confront him. Contact law enforcement.”
Email Tribune staff writer Camille Sarabia at csarabia@gannett.com .
This article originally appeared on South Bend Tribune: South Bend police chief says family and community deserve answers in Riley student's death
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