A Cuyahoga County jury on Monday cleared a Cleveland man of murder in a June killing at Big Creek Reservation but still found him criminally responsible on lesser counts, setting up a tense sentencing hearing later this month. Faraj N. Sabeiha was convicted of two counts of felonious assault and one count of tampering with evidence and remains in jail ahead of an April 30 sentencing date.
Jury Delivers Split Verdict
Jurors received the case on Friday and returned a mixed verdict on Monday, according to FOX 8. Court records cited by FOX 8 show the panel convicted Sabeiha on the felonious assault and tampering with evidence counts after hearing days of testimony and reviewing trial exhibits, but found him not guilty of murder.
How The Park Killing Unfolded
Prosecutors say the case began on June 20, 2025, when officers were called to the parking lot at the Memphis Picnic Area inside Big Creek Reservation and found a man unresponsive. The Cuyahoga County Medical Examiner later identified the victim as 62-year-old Richard Vega-Rivera of Lakewood, Cleveland19 reported. The Memphis Picnic Area sits at Memphis Avenue and Tiedman Road in the reservation, and investigators say Sabeiha called 911 to report a dispute and told authorities the other man had stood in front of his car before the vehicle struck him.
Charges, Convictions And Next Steps
Court records indicate Sabeiha was initially indicted on charges that included aggravated murder, murder, felonious assault and tampering with evidence. As detailed by FOX 8, jurors ultimately convicted him on two felonious assault counts and one tampering with evidence count while acquitting him of the homicide charges. He is scheduled to return to Cuyahoga County Common Pleas Court for sentencing on April 30, 2026.
What The Law Says
Under Ohio law, felonious assault under Ohio Revised Code §2903.11 is generally a second-degree felony that covers knowingly causing serious physical harm to another person or causing harm with a deadly weapon. The statute also addresses the use of a vehicle to commit an assault. Tampering with evidence under Ohio Revised Code §2921.12 is a third-degree felony when a person knowingly alters, destroys or conceals a record or object in order to impair its value or availability as evidence. These statutes and their potential penalties are outlined on the Ohio Legislative Service Commission’s site.
What To Watch At Sentencing
Park officials and prosecutors have said the case turned on the details of the argument in the parking lot and whether Sabeiha’s actions met the legal standard for murder instead of assault, Cleveland19 reported. With the split verdict now in place, a judge will decide Sabeiha’s punishment for the assault and tampering convictions at the April 30 hearing, and that outcome could help determine whether any related civil claims follow.
