Woman testifies in beating case
The defendant could get 13 years in prison if convicted.
YOUNGSTOWN -- A Salem woman identified John J. Hohvart of Mineral Ridge as the man who beat and abducted her last fall.
Testimony is under way in Mahoning County Common Pleas Court in the trial of Hohvart, 34, of Niles-Carver Road, who is charged with felonious assault and abduction.
Dawn Krueger, an assistant county prosecutor, is representing the state, and Atty. Ted Macejko Jr. is defending Hohvart. A county grand jury indicted Hohvart on the charges in November.
Felonious assault carries a maximum penalty of eight years in prison, while the abduction charge has a maximum sentence of five years. Hohvart could be sentenced to 13 years in prison if the penalties run consecutively. Judge James C. Evans is presiding.
Hohvart denies assaulting the victim.
Testimony
In testimony Wednesday, the victim, 24, told Krueger that on Oct. 3, 2004, she was a passenger in Hohvart's car traveling on North Canfield-Niles Road in Austintown. She said she was Hohvart's ex-girlfriend.
The two argued over her ending their relationship. She said Hohvart became violent, choked her to the point she lost consciousness, slammed her face several times into the passenger-side window and also beat her with his fists and elbow. She said the beating took place as Hohvart drove her around several township roads.
She said she was bleeding profusely and was treated at Salem Community Hospital. She said she still has a scar from the attack and continues to experience other physical discomforts.
She also testified that Hohvart said he'd "cut her up into little pieces and no one would ever find her." She told Krueger she didn't feel she could get away from him.
No apologies
Under cross-examination from Macejko, the victim said she received a letter from Hohvart about two weeks after the alleged attack. She confirmed the letter contained no mention of an apology.
She said she had known Hohvart for two years and was dating him even though she knew he was still married. She said he told her he was in the process of getting a divorce.
She later told Krueger that she called Hohvart several times after the attack to let him know "how badly he had hurt me" and also to let him know she had filed a report with police. She said he never apologized.