WEATHERSFIELD Case remains open in man's death
By SHERRI L. SHAULIS
VINDICATOR TRUMBULL STAFF
MINERAL RIDGE -- Though one man is in custody and charged in the death of a Youngstown man, police and the victim's family say the case is far from over.
"We have put a considerable number of hours in this case, and we're still not done yet," said Weathersfield Township Police Chief Joseph P. Consiglio.
The chief said officers continue to investigate leads in the Nov. 9 death of Kevin Dietz, 30, of Steel Street. Dietz, who was run over, was found on Bundy Lane, about 1,500 feet from Salt Springs Road.
Clayton Booker, 38, of Liberty, who called police early that morning to report finding the body, was arrested on a charge of aggravated vehicular manslaughter the next Monday. The case was bound over to the Trumbull County grand jury earlier this month.
Consiglio said police still have many questions about the case including how Dietz's 18-month-old daughter ended up wandering around back yards on Lee Avenue in Youngstown.
Zak Baker of Youngstown, Dietz's brother, said Dietz was at home the night before he died, baby-sitting his daughter, and had no plans to leave the house.
Like Dietz's family, a big question police try to answer is how Dietz's daughter ended up alone in an unfamiliar neighborhood.
"We are still trying to determine how the baby got there," Consiglio said.
Reward increased
In an effort to gather any information on the whereabouts of Dietz and his daughter, Baker originally offered a $500 reward. Now, he said, other relatives have upped the ante.
"Our older brother, James Baker, who lives in California, is offering $5,000 for information leading to the arrest and conviction of anyone else who may have been involved in the murder," Baker said.
Though Baker said he and other family members are convinced someone besides Booker was involved, police have not named any other suspects.
Consiglio said police are not ruling anything out and continue to work with the Ohio State Highway Patrol and the Youngstown Police Department to investigate all leads.
"We have more people to interview and talk to," he said. "We are not going to quit until we get some answers we need to some of our questions."
Anyone with information is urged to call Baker at (330) 716-8878 or the Weathersfield Police Department at (330) 652-6486.
slshaulis@vindy.com