YOUNGSTOWN — Detective George Anderson of the Youngstown Police Department testified Monday that within five minutes of a 10:11 p.m. 911 call in June indicating that Zarian Dothard, 19, had been shot at a home on East Judson Avenue late June 11, Lyndale Wilkins Sr., called 911 to say that his son, Lyndale Wilkins Jr., 17, “said he thought he killed someone.”

Anderson also testified that based on his investigation, it appeared that Dothard had been inside a home in the 500 block of East Judson Avenue on the South Side, went outside, had an argument, there was gunfire and a car fled the scene. Anderson said Wilkins Jr. told Anderson during an interview that he tussled with Dothard, “and the gun went off.”

Anderson was the only witness at a hearing in Mahoning County Juvenile Court held to determine whether there is probable cause that Lyndale Wilkins Jr., now 18, committed murder. At the end of the hearing, Judge Theresa Dellick said she would issue a decision later.

If she finds probable cause, the case will be bound over to the adult-level Mahoning County Common Pleas Court for a grand jury to determine whether Wilkins Jr. should be indicted and tried as an adult.

Wilkins Jr. and his father both attended the hearing, along with other family members. Wilkins Jr. is in the custody of the Mahoning County Juvenile Justice Center and sat at the defense table with his attorney, Tony Meranto. About 15 Dothard family members also attended the hearing.

Dellick made everyone aware that in a probable cause hearing, she only has to find that it is “more likely than not” (51%) that Lyndale Wilkins Jr. killed Dothard to find probable cause.

When the testimony was complete and Anissa Modarelli, assistant county prosecutor, gave a closing argument, she said the prosecution’s burden of proof is “very low.” She said Lyndale Wilkins Jr.’s father advised police “I have the gun” and that his son “may have shot someone.”

But Meranto stated in his closing argument that there was no evidence presented suggesting that Dothard’s death was the result of a “purposeful killing,” adding “They have no probable cause whatsoever.” The murder charge Wilkins Jr. faces accuses him of committing a purposeful killing, but Meranto suggested that Wilkins Jr. will argue self-defense.

Anderson testified that Wilkins Jr. is the only suspect in Dothard’s killing and that Anderson spoke with Wilkins Jr. at the police department the night of Dothard’s death. Anderson said he observed blood on the driveway of the home on East Judson. Police obtained a weapon that was “voluntarily” provided by the Wilkins family, Anderson said. Wilkins and his father have been cooperative in the investigation, Anderson said.

The autopsy report indicated that Dothard was shot in the neck area and the shot traveled upward and exited his head. Some lab results are not back yet, Anderson noted.