MAHONING COUNTY Wrong man accused, defense suggests

Jurors heard a taped statement from a man who blamed Michael Hogan.
By BOB JACKSON
VINDICATOR COURTHOUSE REPORTER
YOUNGSTOWN -- Michael Hogan's lawyer wants jurors to think police arrested the wrong man for the hit-and-run killing of 71-year-old John K. Ruble Sr. last year.
Hogan, 38, of Boardman, is on trial in Mahoning County Common Pleas Court, charged with murder and aggravated robbery. Prosecutors say he was the driver of a car that ran over Ruble and killed him at a recycling drop-off site on South Avenue in May 2002.
During questioning Tuesday, defense attorney James T. Hartford suggested that another man, Joseph Direnzo of Youngstown, could have been the driver.
Hartford presented evidence that Youngstown police were looking at Direnzo as a suspect in several purse-snatchings in the city the day before Ruble was killed.
Ruble was trying to get back his wife's purse, which had been grabbed from the front seat of their car while the couple was unloading items from the trunk.
Detective Sgt. Stephen J. Riwniak of the Boardman police said authorities had once considered Direnzo a suspect, among others, but later ruled him out and focused on Hogan.
Statement
Direnzo gave a statement to police in June 2002, saying Hogan drove him to a doctor's appointment shortly after noon May 31. Hartford played the tape for jurors Tuesday afternoon.
Direnzo said Hogan took him home after the appointment, around 1 p.m., and said he was going to "go make some money." Hogan returned about three hours later, sweaty and nervous, Direnzo said on the tape.
He said Hogan told him that he'd gotten into some trouble and needed a change of clothes. Direnzo said he gave Hogan a pair of dark blue sweat pants and a white muscle shirt. Hogan took the clothes and left, he said.
Witnesses said Ruble was killed around 1:30 p.m. May 31, 2002.
Police report
Hartford read a Youngstown police report about a purse-snatching in Calvary Cemetery on Youngstown's West Side the day before Ruble was killed. Police listed Direnzo as a suspect in that case, according to the report.
Riwniak, being questioned by Hartford, said Direnzo's wife was charged in June 2002 with two counts of receiving stolen property. She was accused of having two personal checks from the women whose purses were stolen from the cemetery.
Riwniak said police focused on Hogan because that's who the evidence suggested was responsible for the Ruble case.
Testimony was to continue today in the courtroom of Judge James C. Evans.
bjackson@vindy.com