Life in prison for man convicted of 2019 murder of Ashtabula County business owner

PAINESVILLE, Ohio (WOIO) - A 20-year-old man convicted of killing a a 65-year-old Ashtabula business owner in 2019 was sentenced to life in prison by Lake County Common Pleas Judge Patrick Condon Thursday afternoon.

Tim Meola was found dead inside his Mentor Avenue home in Painesville on Sept. 7, 2019.

Painesville police arrested Demarco Jones on July 28, 2022. Jones, of Willowick, was 17 at the time of the murder.

In January, Jones changed his plea to guilty to the charge of aggravated murder in front of Judge Condon.

Jones is first eligible for parole after he serves 25 years in prison.