ASHVILLE, Ohio — A second suspect has been taken into custody in connection with a December shooting that left a Lancaster teenager hospitalized, according to the Pickaway County Sheriff’s Office.
Sheriff Matthew O. Hafey announced that on January 6, 2026, 19-year-old Layle R. Mohler was arrested in Columbus on an outstanding warrant related to the case. Mohler had been wanted on charges of complicity to felonious assault and complicity to aggravated robbery.
Sheriff Hafey thanked the Columbus Police Department and the Pickaway County Sheriff’s Office Investigative Division for their continued efforts and cooperation that led to Mohler’s arrest.
The shooting occurred on December 8, 2025, at approximately 3:29 p.m., when the Pickaway County Sheriff’s Office Communications Center received a report of a man shot at 4800 Duvall Road, Lot 114, in Ashville.
Responding deputies and officers from the Ashville Police Department learned that 19-year-old Layton A. Waugh of Lancaster had been shot in the chest during a fight with an unknown male. Waugh was transported by Harrison Township EMS to OhioHealth Grant Medical Center, where he was treated. Authorities later confirmed he has since been released and is recovering in stable condition.
Investigators processed the scene and interviewed multiple witnesses, learning that those involved fled the area in a silver Saturn Ion with a black front hood fender. The suspect vehicle was located in Columbus on December 9, 2025, and seized following a search warrant obtained in coordination with the Franklin County Sheriff’s Office.
The vehicle was later processed by BCI, and digital evidence was analyzed by the Ohio State Highway Patrol Computer Crimes Unit. As a result of the forensic and digital evidence review, arrest warrants were issued for Mohler and 20-year-old Tyler A. Stepp, also of Columbus.
Stepp was arrested on December 17, 2025. With Mohler now in custody, both suspects are facing charges stemming from the incident. The case remains under investigation.
