WILLOUGHBY, Ohio — Richard Adams, the 20-year-old Painesville man who attacked a teen he walked in on molesting a 5-year-old boy in Eastlake, has died, according to the Lake County Coroner.
The coroner's office said the cause of death is unknown at this time and that the results of an autopsy, which would be done at the Cuyahoga County Medical Examiner's office, could take four months.
Adams, who was facing a felonious assault charge, entered a plea agreement for a lesser charge earlier in April and was entered into a diversion program.
The judge in Adams's case agreed to the state's recommendation that Adams be placed in a First Offender diversion program, as this was his first criminal offense.
According to the report, Adams walked into a room and found the 17-year-old sexually assaulting the child and a fight broke out between the two.
Following the incident, authorities arrested Adams as well as the teen. The teen has been charged with two counts of rape and two counts of gross sexual imposition, according to authorities.
Adams said, in an interview with News 5 shortly after the incident, "I feel like I was doing what was right."
Adams received a wide range of support for his actions, from people calling him a hero to others offering to pay for his legal costs.
Eastlake Police Chief Larry Reik said it did not appear there was any foul play involved in Adams's death.
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