A third person has been arrested in connection with a violent group attack in downtown Cincinnati that left two people seriously injured over the weekend. Police confirmed Wednesday that Jermaine Matthews was taken into custody overnight and is now facing charges of aggravated riot and assault.
His arrest follows those of 34-year-old Montianez Merriweather and 24-year-old Dekyra Vernon, who were both charged earlier this week with felonious assault, aggravated riot, and assault. The arrests come as video of the incident continues to spread online, causing outrage across the city and beyond.
All three suspects appeared in court on Wednesday morning for bond hearings. The judge set Merriweather’s bond at $500,000. Vernon’s was set at $200,000. Matthews, who was the most recent to be booked, received a $100,000 bond.
Prosecutors said Matthews was caught on video chasing one of the victims into the street. Once the victim fell, Matthews allegedly kicked him multiple times. After stopping, prosecutors say Matthews seemed “visibly enraged” and went on to strike another person.
One clip allegedly shows Matthews getting punched in the face just before the main assault began. Prosecutors acknowledged that in the early stages of the incident, Matthews may have been attacked first — but added that the situation escalated quickly after that.
Matthews has three previous felony convictions, all of them related to drugs.
NEW: Police sources tell me a third arrest has been made in the ongoing investigation into the viral beat down in Cincinnati.
The suspect’s name is Jermaine Matthews.
He is charged with aggravated riot and assault.#CincinnatiBrawl #Cincinnati @FoxNews pic.twitter.com/LVOw2xqNTi
— Alexis McAdams (@AlexisMcAdamsTV) July 30, 2025
During the same hearing, Vernon’s defense attorney described her as a 24-year-old woman with no criminal record, aside from traffic-related issues. She has an open warrant for a previous traffic violation. But prosecutors argued that video evidence showed her knocking out a woman who was trying to help one of the victims up off the ground. That moment, they said, made a higher bond necessary.
One of the victims has returned to the hospital twice since the assault and is still recovering from significant injuries.
The FBI has now joined the investigation. A spokesperson confirmed the agency is working closely with the Cincinnati Police Department and is continuing to monitor developments in the case.
3 now in jail for downtown brawl in Cincinnati over weekend. Montianez Merriweather, 34, & Dekyra Vernon, 24, charged with assault, aggravated assault & aggravated riot. 3rd person, Jermaine Matthews, turned himself in last night. He’s charged with agg riot and assault. @Local12 pic.twitter.com/lJpExkSmw1
— David Winter (@DavidWinterTV) July 30, 2025
The assault took place in the early hours of Saturday morning, near the nightclub LoVe and a neighboring late-night restaurant. According to witnesses, what began as a confrontation quickly turned into a chaotic street fight. Video shows two people — a man and a woman — being beaten by a group. The woman, later identified only as “Holly,” was knocked unconscious by a single punch.
Cincinnati Police Chief Teresa Theetge told reporters Monday that five people had been charged so far but declined to release additional names. She expressed concern that although around 100 people were nearby during the attack, only one person called 911.
“That is unacceptable,” she said. “They were fighting in front of traffic. Why didn’t people call us?”
Republican gubernatorial candidate Vivek Ramaswamy visited Holly after the incident. He said she is a single mother who had gone out to celebrate a friend’s birthday. According to Ramaswamy, no local or state official — other than a single police detective — had contacted her following the attack.
Cory Bowman, a Cincinnati mayoral candidate and half-brother of Senator JD Vance, also criticized the city’s response.
“People don’t even see the sense in calling 911 anymore,” he said.
The investigation is ongoing. Authorities say more arrests could follow as they continue to review surveillance footage and social media posts related to the incident.
