COUSIN CHARGED IN TEEN'S SHOOTING DEATH

Cousin charged inteen's shooting death
YOUNGSTOWN -- Police charged Raymond Sykes, 17, of Cameron Avenue with the murder of his 15-year-old cousin, Billy Mayes. Also, Jeff Martin, 16, of East Philadelphia Avenue was charged with obstruction of justice and tampering with evidence. Their cases were referred Wednesday to the Mahoning County Juvenile Justice Center. Police say Sykes told officers he had the handgun used in the shooting, but didn't provide any details about what happened. Police said Billy, a Choffin Career Center pupil, was found dead inside his Ohio Avenue home at 1:10 p.m. Monday by his mother and another woman. The victim was beaten about the face and had gunshot wounds to his right arm and his chest from a single shot, police said.
Missing man sought
YOUNGSTOWN -- Police are looking for Dean Donnadio of North Glenellen Avenue, missing since September. Police said Donnadio, 40, was last seen by his wife five months ago. Donnadio is 5 feet 8 inches tall and weighs 150 pounds.
Commissioner hopeful
WARREN -- Mauro Cantalamessa, a former high school English teacher and current operator of Enzo's Restaurant on Elm Road here, planned to announce today his candidacy in the May 2 Democratic primary for the open Trumbull County commissioner seat. Cantalamessa, a 1995 graduate of Warren John F. Kennedy High School and 2000 graduate of John Carroll University, said he brings a business background and commitment for a prosperous and fiscally responsible Trumbull County.
YSU student fightingexpulsion gets TRO
YOUNGSTOWN -- Judge Maureen A. Sweeney of Mahoning County Common Pleas Court granted a temporary restraining order Wednesday to a former Youngstown State University football player fighting his expulsion from the university. Joseph Nicholson of Steubenville, a linebacker, was punished for fighting at an off-campus fraternity party during fall semester. Atty. Damian Billak, who with Atty. Christopher Sammarone worked on the TRO request, described the fight as a "one-punch altercation." The judge's order stops YSU from suspending Nicholson or disallowing him to complete the courses in which he was enrolled until at least Feb. 22, when the TRO will either expire or be extended.
SRU student found dead
SLIPPERY ROCK, Pa. -- Pennsylvania State Police are investigating the death of a Slippery Rock University student. Police said Laura Moore, 18, was found dead in her dorm room Tuesday. Police think she died sometime between 9:45 and 10:15 p.m. An autopsy was planned for Wednesday evening by Dr. Leon Rosen at the Young Funeral Home in Butler to determine the cause. Police said the investigation was pending the autopsy results. SRU spokesman Gordon Ovenshine said the university had just learned of Moore's death Wednesday morning and no arrangements had been made on campus for other students affected by Moore's death.
Woman testifies shedidn't burn daughter
LISBON -- A woman testified she did not burn her daughter repeatedly with a cigarette even though her son said she did. Tammy L. Moyer, 22, of Parkview Drive, Lisbon, is on trial in Columbiana County Common Pleas Court on two felony counts of endangering children. Moyer testified Wednesday that she noticed the burn marks on the 4-year-old early the morning of Feb. 27, 2005. "I don't know what happened to Tamara," Moyer said. The marks were beginning to scab over and the girl said they did not hurt, Moyer said. Timothy McNicol, an assistant county prosecutor, reminded Moyer that her son, now 6, testified that Moyer burned Tamara because she would not stay in bed. Moyer testified that she gave different answers when she was first questioned by authorities because she was nervous.