CINCINNATI – Cincinnati Police Chief Teresa Theetge announced Tuesday that two individuals have been arrested in connection with a brutal downtown attack that seriously injured two people over the weekend.
The suspects, 34-year-old Montianez Merriweather and 24-year-old Dekyra Vernon, were taken into custody, though authorities have not yet released specific charges. Hamilton County jail records currently do not list any formal charges against them.
The Cincinnati Fraternal Order of Police (FOP) Queen City Lodge #69 commended the police department for making arrests in what they described as a “heinous attack.” The FOP also highlighted Merriweather’s prior legal troubles, noting that he was indicted on July 10, 2025, for multiple offenses including receiving stolen property, weapons under disability, and improper transportation of a firearm. Despite these charges, Merriweather was released on a $4,000 bond after posting only 10%, or $400.
“This is your court system,” the FOP stated in a social media post.
The violent incident took place early Saturday morning at the corner of Fourth Street and Elm Street, outside the popular LoVe nightclub and an adjacent late-night restaurant. A video of the attack, which quickly went viral on social media, shows a mob viciously assaulting two individuals — including a woman who was knocked unconscious — while bystanders filmed rather than intervened.
The attack has sparked outrage nationwide, and police continue their investigation.
