Toribio Antonio “Bennie” Galvan-Whitehead
SIDNEY — A 17-year-old male who is accused of stabbing two people during a group fight in Brown Park in May is being charged as an adult.
Toribio Antonio “Bennie” Galvan-Whitehead is accused of murdering Christian Vaughn, 23, and critically injuring a 16-year-old male during the fight shortly after midnight on May 16.
In documents filed Tuesday, Shelby County Common Pleas juvenile judge Jeffrey Beigel ruled that Galvan-Whitehead will be bound over to adult court.
Galvan-Whitehead was transferred from the West Central Juvenile Detention Center to the Shelby County Jail on Wednesday. His bond has been set at $500,000.
He is being charged with one count of murder and one count of felonious assault.
Galvan-Whitehead was arrested on the evening of May 16 after a standoff that lasted about nine hours at a home at the intersection of Second Avenue and Forrest Street.
According to court documents, prosecutors outlined their case against Galvan-Whitehead during a hearing on Sept. 24. He was 16 years old at the time of the incident, which started late on May 15 and continued after midnight on May 16.
Prosecutors say surveillance video from Brown Park shows Galvan-Whitehead wielding two large kitchen knives. He first stabbed the 16-year-old in the back and side, who is seen on video struggling to a car. He then fatally stabbed Vaughn.
According to prosecutors, there is no indication from video evidence that Galvan-Whitehead was acting in self-defense. He aggressively pursued both victims. One eyewitness also corroborated the video evidence.
Sidney police detective Robert Benshoff testified during the Sept. 24 hearing that Galvan-Whitehead initially hid the knives himself, then told his girlfriend, a juvenile, to clean and re-hide the knives he used.
Medical records submitted to the court say the 16-year-old male who was critically injured was admitted to Miami Valley Hospital on May 16 and discharged four days later. He had stab wounds in the abdomen and bilateral flank stab wounds and had to undergo surgery.
Reach Sidney Daily News editor Bryant Billing at 937-538-4822, or follow @BryantBillingSDN on Facebook or @TopBillingSport on X (Twitter).
