DAYTON — The man accused of shooting into three homes and killing a 12-year-old girl while she was sleeping has been convicted.
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A Montgomery County jury found Antawan Benson guilty of all of the counts he was facing, including murder and felonious assault.
Twelve-year-old Isabella Carlos was shot and killed while sleeping in her bed in August 2024.
Police arrested two brothers about two weeks after the shooting, Benson and Javen Connor.
Investigators said their gunfire missed the intended target.
News Center 7 was in court as Judge Gerald Parker read the jury’s verdict. Benson showed no emotion.
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As shown on News Center 7 at 5:00, he did respond when a loved one cried out to him.
“I love you Twanny!” a loved one said.
“Love you too,” he responded.
Prosecutors walked jurors and family members through all of the evidence. Those family members of Carlos say it was tough, but the result is the right step.
“It’s never easy, especially when you lose a child, but they’re getting what they deserve,” Michael Nooks said.
Nooks and Jennifer Ison were Carlos’ legal guardians and parents. Losing her has brought them nonstop pain.
“Just heartbroken,” Ison said.
She told News Center 7 that her child is gone, and one other young man has changed his life forever, with one more to go to trial.
“Heartbroken for all involved, all the young children making poor mistakes, decisions in their lives,” she added.
Prosecutors showed Benson and Connor chasing a woman out of an apartment complex, with guns pointed at her car, just hours before the fatal gunfire. Police said their social media beef led them to recruit another woman to drive them near the duplex on W. Fairview Avenue, and Carlos’ home, where they sent a hail of bullets toward the homes.
News Center 7’s Mike Campbell asked Nooks and Ison what their reactions were when they heard the guilty verdict.
“Oh I was satisfied,” Nooks said. “I was just satisfied, just waiting to see how long he gets.”
Benson is scheduled to be sentenced on Dec. 22.
Connor’s trial is scheduled to begin next week.
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