Suspect in 2022 shooting death sentenced

SANDUSKY — A suspect in the shooting death of a 24-year-old Cleveland man addressed the judge and the victim's family in court on Tuesday before being sentenced to prison. Quinton Cangelo, 24, who has ties to both the Sandusky area and Pennsylvania, was before Erie County Common Pleas Court Judge Beverly McGookey on two charges relating to the Jan. 17, 2022, fatal shooting of 24-year-old Dontre Tate, of Cleveland. He faced two counts, one count of third-degree felony reckless homicide and one count of second-degree felony burglary. A group of people were gathered at a dormitory building on Milan Road (U.S. 250) for a party when an altercation broke out between Cangelo and Tate. Cagelo left the party and recruited two other men to return with him. One of those men, Delonnie Brown, 28, of Toledo, had a handgun and allegedly fatally shot Tate. Cangelo said the group of people was celebrating his birthday prior to the altercation that resulted in Tate's death. "I had no idea how much one party would impact my life and other lives," Cangelo said to McGookey. "I take responsibility for my actions and even though these two words won't change how heavy (Dontre's) family was impacted, I'm genuinely very sorry." Cangelo said that he's gone into therapy while incarcerated and that he hopes to earn his GED in the future. Turning to Tate's family seated in the courtroom's gallery, Cangelo read a letter. "I never thought I would be involved in something like this. It was supposed to be a fun night for everyone," he said. "It turned into a terrible tragedy." Three members of Tate's family addressed Cangelo with victim impact statements. Dontre's sister, Sahara Tate, referred to him as her "baby brother." "He was one-of-a-kind to me," Sahara Tate said. "I want (Cangelo) to be held accountable." Dontre's mother, Latonya Owens, said her son was a "gifted artist" who was exposed to gospel music through church and was a self-taught drummer. "They didn't take a thug or a criminal," Owens said. "They took an artist, a drummer, a pianist, a brother and an uncle. "They took my son from me," she said. When asked by McGookey about what the initial fight leading to Tate's death involved, Cangelo responded that he could not remember what it was about. The defendant noted that he had been drinking heavily on the day of the incident. McGookey told those gathered that, when deciding her sentence, she had to take into account many factors, including Cangelo's lack of a prior criminal record. "This is one of those days where I wish I could wave a magic wand and make everything right for everybody, but I can't," the judge said. McGookey sentenced Cangelo to 30 months in prison on the reckless homicide charge and a term of four to six years on the burglary count. The counts will run concurrently for a total sentence of four-to-six years. Delonnie Brown, who faces charges including murder and felonious assault, is due to appear in court for a plea hearing on April 23. Two other co-defendants in the case have court cases pending: • DaQuan Brown, 22, of Toledo, has a plea hearing set for April 23. He faces felony charges of aggravated burglary and evidence tampering. • Travon Brown, 24, of Toledo, who faces one count of obstruction. A court docket for him does not appear to have been updated since mid-2023. The current disposition of his case is not clear.