One of three Detroit men charged in the 2025 drive-by shooting that killed 6-year-old Rylee Love has pleaded guilty to second-degree murder, admitting his role while his co-defendants prepare for trial.
Yesterday, Deonate Cherry agreed to a plea deal that calls for a 20-to-40-year prison term. He is due to be sentenced on Aug. 21 in Wayne County Circuit Court. The two co-defendants remain charged and are set to go to trial next Monday.
Plea details and timing
According to The Detroit News, Cherry entered his change-of-plea this week, and the written agreement recommends a 20-to-40-year sentence at disposition. The Detroit News reports the sentencing hearing is scheduled for Aug. 21 before Wayne Circuit Judge Donald Knapp and that prosecutors tied the plea to actions that led to the boy’s death.
How prosecutors say it unfolded
Per a Wayne County Prosecutor’s Office release, the shooting occurred on July 27, 2025 near the intersection of Anglin Street and Stender Avenue when people in a vehicle fired multiple rounds into a group. Stray bullets entered a home on the 17400 block of Anglin Street and struck Rylee while he was inside. Officers found the child suffering from a gunshot wound and medics transported him to a hospital, where he later died. “Rylee Love was the ultimate innocent victim,” Prosecutor Kym Worthy said in the office's announcement, per the Wayne County Prosecutor's Office.
Charges against the three men
Local reporting and the prosecutor’s release say Demontrel Wilson, Deonate Cherry and Terrance Blue were charged with first-degree murder, conspiracy to commit first-degree murder, conspiracy to discharge firearms from a vehicle causing death, and discharging a firearm from a vehicle causing death. FOX 2 Detroit also reported that Wilson and Blue face counts for possessing firearms as felons. The Detroit News notes Wilson and Blue are scheduled to be tried next Monday while Cherry’s plea moves his case toward disposition.
Legal timeline and what comes next
Cherry will return to court for sentencing on Aug. 21, when the judge will decide whether to accept the 20-to-40-year recommendation in the plea agreement. If the judge accepts that recommendation, the sentence will be imposed at that hearing; if not, the plea could be revisited and different outcomes are possible under Michigan procedure. The remaining defendants will continue through pretrial motions and scheduling ahead of their trial next week unless the court makes other changes.
Community response and context
The shooting prompted local rallies and a public appeal for tips last summer as investigators worked the case, and authorities offered a reward while the probe was active. Hoodline earlier covered the initial aftermath and the community’s calls for information in the days after the slaying; Hoodline summarized that local response. Family members and neighborhood leaders have repeatedly urged witnesses to come forward during court proceedings, and investigators say tips remain important to closing gaps in the investigation.
