Man Charged After Fatal Shooting Outside Mayfield Heights Piada Restaurant on Friday
Updated: 4 days ago
MAYFIELD HEIGHTS, Ohio — A Cleveland 13 News reporter arrived at the Piada Italian Street Food on Mayfield Road moments after a shooting Friday afternoon and found the parking lot filling with police and emergency crews. Officers had taped off part of the property. People gathered outside the restaurant and nearby businesses as traffic slowed along Mayfield Road. An ambulance was leaving the scene.
The shooting happened around 4 p.m. on Oct. 2, outside the restaurant at 6075 Mayfield Road. Police found Al C. Rice II, 45, of Cleveland, in the parking lot with a gunshot wound. He was taken to Cleveland Clinic Hillcrest Hospital, where he died.
Three adults were initially detained. Two were later released. Dae’Juan M. Moton, 24, of Euclid, was charged with aggravated murder and two counts of attempted murder. A judge set his bond at $1 million at a Monday court appearance. Moton is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.
Dispatch audio released after the shooting captures the confusion as people called for help. Callers reported hearing multiple shots and seeing someone fall. One caller estimated hearing as many as nine shots, though that number has not been confirmed. Officers reported finding a man down in the Piada parking lot and can be heard ordering people to stop and get on the ground.
The gunfire reached beyond the restaurant’s parking lot. Employees at the Tavern of Mayfield, across the street, said a bullet struck their building. Nearby residents described being shocked by the shooting. Police have said there is no ongoing threat to the public, and the Ohio Bureau of Criminal Investigation is assisting with the case.
At Monday’s court hearing, Moton’s attorney said Moton was working for DoorDash and argued that Rice initiated a confrontation. Those are claims made by the defense. Investigators have not announced a motive or publicly explained what led to the shooting.
The investigation remains ongoing. Anyone with information is asked to contact the Mayfield Heights Detective Bureau at 440-442-2323.
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