MAHONING COUNTY Austintown man pleads innocent in domestic case

The mother told her son she was tired of being 'second best.'
AUSTINTOWN -- Matthew Oles denies punching his sister and knocking his mother down during a family quarrel Christmas Eve.
Oles, 37, of Harvest Ridge Drive, was arrested on two counts of domestic violence around 5 p.m. last Friday. He posted $3,000 bond and was released pending arraignment Monday in Mahoning County Area Court.
Oles, through his Boardman lawyer, John F. Shultz, pleaded innocent at arraignment and waived his right to a speedy trial.
Pretrial scheduled
Judge David A. D'Apolito set a pretrial for Jan. 31.
Shultz advised his client to not comment after court.
Oles is married to Austintown Trustee Lisa Oles. She accompanied her husband to court but was not involved in the encouter, officials said.
Police reports show that Sgt. Tom Collins arrived at the North Turner Road home of Patricia F. Oles, 62, and Carla S. Oles, 30, at 4:44 p.m. Christmas Eve. The officer obtained written statements from both women.
Matthew Oles, who was gone by the time police arrived, also wrote a statement after being advised by Patrolman Justin Coulter that he had the right to remain silent.
Oles said he called his mother at 3 p.m. to tell her that he'd visit at 8:30 p.m. to exchange gifts. He said she wanted him to come over at 5:30 p.m. for dinner and was tired of being "second best" and to come at 5:30 or not at all and hung up.
Went with sons
Oles said he went to his mother's house with his three sons around 4 p.m.
"My sister Carla started yelling at me, saying I think they are second best to everyone else," Oles wrote in his police statement. "My sister ... screaming in my face ... pushed me backward against the front door and then slapped me across my left ear and head ... I pushed her ... away ... because I didn't want her to hit me again."
Oles said his mother got between him and his sister. He said his mother fell when his sister pushed her to take a swing at him.
"At no point did I hit anybody," he wrote.
Carla Oles wrote: "I told him to take his Christmas presents [with] him, and I kicked them out the door. Then he came after me hitting and punching me," Carla Oles wrote. "My mom stepped in between us, and he knocked her down to the ground and proceeded to punch me."
Carla Oles said her brother used a closed fist and ripped out her hair. She said he left when she told him she was calling the police.
Collins noted in his report that he didn't see any marks or redness on Carla Oles' face.
Patricia Oles wrote that her son hit and punched his sister.