WARREN Man pleads in dragging of officer

Prosecutors dismissed two charges of felonious assault.
By PEGGY SINKOVICH
VINDICATOR TRUMBULL STAFF
WARREN -- A 30-year-old Mineral Ridge man who dragged a Warren police officer with his car pleaded guilty to aggravated vehicular assault and failure to comply with the signal of a police officer.
David Molina of Woodledge Drive entered the plea Wednesday before Judge W. Wyatt McKay of Trumbull County Common Pleas Court. In exchange for his guilty plea, prosecutors dismissed two charges of felonious assault.
Molina, who could receive up to five years in prison, will be sentenced after a background check is completed by the county adult probation department.
What happened
Warren police Sgt. Robert Massucci stopped the car Molina was driving Feb. 22 on Belvedere Avenue for a traffic violation. Massucci asked Molina a few questions and then Molina started to drive off, reports state.
Massucci attempted to grab onto Molina's arm and became entangled in the car. Massucci said he yelled at Molina to stop the car, but Molina kept driving.
The vehicle crashed a few minutes later, reports state. Massucci was dragged about three blocks, police said.
Massucci was taken to a local hospital, were he was treated for a broken leg, officials said.
In April, Girard Municipal Judge Michael Bernard revoked Molina's probation and sentenced him to two months and two days in jail. Molina was placed on probation in the Girard court May 24, 2000, for driving without a license.
He failed to pay $573 in fines and costs, didn't provide a correct address and telephone number and didn't respond to a letter directing him to report to the probation department.
Molina told Judge Bernard he broke up with his girlfriend, was living with his sister and didn't have the money to pay the fines, but he acknowledged paying $750 to a bonding company to post $7,500 bond in the 2000 case and has paid $3,600 thus far to post a $100,000 bond in the Warren case.