2 plead innocent in 1999 drive-by homicide

YOUNGSTOWN -- Two city men pleaded innocent Tuesday to charges stemming from a 5-year-old murder case.
Atiba Collier, 27, of Morley Avenue, and Eric VanCobb, 24, of Madison Avenue, were arraigned in Mahoning County Common Pleas Court on charges of aggravated murder, attempted aggravated murder and felonious assault.
They are charged in the July 10, 1999, shooting death of 25-year-old Sylvester Patterson, who was killed when occupants of a blue Astrovan opened fire in front of 130 W. Glenaven Ave. Two other men, Eric Little and Anthony Floyd, both of Youngstown, were hit but survived.
Collier and VanCobb were secretly indicted last week by a Mahoning County grand jury. Their trial is scheduled for July 14 before Judge R. Scott Krichbaum of common pleas court.
A third suspect, Teangelo Stores, 24, was indicted on the same charges but was not arraigned Tuesday. Stores has been in prison since January 2001 on an unrelated drug conviction.
Last month, Leroy Gore Jr., 31, of Campbell pleaded guilty to involuntary manslaughter for the drive-by shooting. The charge was reduced from murder. Gore also pleaded guilty to two counts of felonious assault and one count of using a firearm to commit the crimes. Gore faces a 12-year prison term when he is sentenced this week by Judge Charles J. Bannon.