NEW DETAILS: Darke County teen found in Dayton alley remembered as a friend

Credit: JIM NOELKER

Credit: JIM NOELKER

A Darke County teenager who died after being found in a Dayton alley last month was remembered as a nice person, a school official said.

Cole Allen, 17, from Gettysburg, was a junior at Greenville High School, Superintendent Doug Fries said. Allen was enrolled at the school at the beginning of 2020, Fries said.

“Cole was a well-liked, polite, and friendly young man who often made people laugh,” he said. “Cole will be missed among our students and staff, our thoughts and prayers go out to his family, friends, and loved ones.”

Dayton Police are continuing to investigate the death of Allen, Dayton Police Lt. Jason Hall told the Dayton Daily News in a statement.

“We are working closely with the Montgomery County Coroner’s Office to learn the circumstances that led to Mr. Allen’s death. Upon completion of this investigation, we will confer with prosecutors if warranted,” Hall said.

A Dayton police report says that on Dec. 21, multiple crews responded to the area of South Irwin Street for “a person down” around 8 p.m. The coroner’s office said that Allen was found after “an incident” in the alley and that he died at Miami Valley Hospital on Dec. 26.

It took authorities a few weeks before they were able to identify Allen. On Monday, the Montgomery County Coroner’s Office said in a release that it needed the public’s help. They described Allen at the time as a younger white male with a cross and a broken heart tattoo on and near his fingers.

The coroner said on Tuesday that with the public’s help, they were able to identify Allen.

More information about the case has not been released.

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