Wife reacts to Golf Dome sentence

Monday, August 14, 2006 The victim's wife said she hopes Dubelt is forever haunted by what he did. By JOHN W. GOODWIN JR. VINDICATOR TRUMBULL STAFF GIRARD — One of three men charged in a fight at the Golf Dome that left one man dead has been sentenced to 25 weeks in county jail, followed by two years' reporting probation. Roberto B. Dubelt, 19, of 144 Morris Ave., Girard, pleaded guilty to assault April 12 and was sentenced Monday in the beating death of 36-year-old Kevin Elza of Bristolville. Elza died Nov. 6 after he was found lying in the parking lot of the Golf Dome around 2:30 a.m., unconscious, breathing shallowly and covered in blood. Police said the parking lot fight was the result of a bar dispute. Three men were indicted April 12 by a Trumbull County grand jury on misdemeanor charges in the case. Two of the men were released on $1,500 bond April 13 after pleading innocent in Trumbull County Common Pleas Court to inciting to violence. They are Brian J. Charles, 21, of 1087 Park Ave., Girard, and David A. Riehl Jr., 19, of 855 Dravis Ave., Girard. Their cases are pending. Dubelt appeared before Judge Peter Kontos, Trumbull County Court of Common Pleas, dressed in a black suit and tie with his attorney J. Gerald Ingram and several supporters. He apologized to the court for the entire situation. "No one intended for this to happen and no one wished this on anyone. I am truly sorry," he said. Before sentencing, Ingram told the court Dubelt is set to attend Penn State University, has not been in trouble previously and would benefit from some sort of community control instead of jail time. He said Dubelt is remorseful for what happened, but is not solely responsible. Elza, he said, is also partly responsible. Tracy Elza, Kevin Elza's widow, also addressed the court and Dubelt. Standing at a lectern and fighting back tears, Elza said the loss of her husband has had the greatest effect on their 4-year-old son. Dubelt took away her son's right to enjoy life with his father and should never forget what happened. "You should be ashamed of yourself for committing this crime," she said. "None of this should have ever happened. I hope this haunts you for the rest of your life." Elza also said Dubelt showed his responsibility for the death by retaining an attorney immediately after it happened and pleading to lesser charges. Judge Kontos, however, reiterated the fact that the charges to which Dubelt pleaded were decided by a grand jury and were not reduced. An Elza family advocate also read a statement from Jolene Elza, Kevin Elza's mother, conveying her heartache from losing her son: "The pain you helped create is almost unbearable." Judge Kontos, in rendering a sentence, said a portion of Dubelt's statement helped him decide whether to give the man jail time or probation. The judge said Dubelt admitted hitting Elza twice after he was already on the ground. Judge Kontos said the maximum sentence was six months, but he sentenced Dubelt to one week less than the maximum because he wanted to add probation to the sentence. Ingram said the sentence can be appealed, but he did not say whether he would do so. jgoodwin@vindy.com