SENTENCING Woman gets 6 years in cruiser theft, chase

Kalasky has a history of mental illness and suicide attempts.
By DEBORA SHAULIS
VINDICATOR STAFF WRITER
YOUNGSTOWN -- In one 20-minute span last summer, Kimberly Kalasky stole a Youngstown police car and led officers on a chase before she was apprehended. The cost of those crimes is six years in prison.
Kalasky, 24, of Cherry Hill Avenue, was sentenced Wednesday by Judge R. Scott Krichbaum of Mahoning County Common Pleas Court for robbery, three counts of assault on peace officers and failure to comply with the order or signal of police. Kalasky pleaded guilty Nov. 22 to those charges as part of a plea agreement.
Prosecuting and defense attorneys had recommended a sentence of 4-1/2 years, including consecutive six months' prison on each assault conviction. Judge Krichbaum imposed consecutive one-year sentences instead, as well as the recommended two years' prison for robbery and one year for failure to comply, for a total of six years.
What happened
Youngstown police had gone to Kalasky's home July 15 on a matter regarding stolen checks. When she wouldn't cooperate, she was arrested on a charge of obstruction of justice.
Assistant County Prosecutor Martin Desmond said Kalasky used a knife to get through a partition between the back and front seats of a cruiser. Kalasky also was accused of trying to stab an officer with the knife. Kalasky then stole the cruiser and drove onto Interstate 680, to Interstate 80 and to Interstate 76. She was apprehended when the driver of a tractor-trailer helped with a rolling roadblock. The assault charges were the result of three Austintown police officers nearly being struck by the cruiser she was driving.
Kalasky was on judicial release for a 2003 theft offense when the incident occurred, Desmond said. That was Kalasky's only conviction, and a pre-sentence investigation showed "There's nothing there to suggest that she's a violent person," defense Atty. Louis DeFabio said. Kalasky has admitted to mental health problems, drug abuse and suicide attempts, he added.
"I'm sorry and ashamed, because this isn't me," a crying Kalasky told the judge.
"You can't disrespect a police officer. I won't let you do that," Judge Krichbaum said.
Kalasky also appeared Wednesday before Judge Maureen A. Sweeney for a probation violation hearing on her prior theft conviction that involved a one-year prison sentence in August 2004. The judge granted her judicial release last April. Judge Sweeney reinstated the original sentence, gave Kalasky credit for time served and ordered that the remaining time be served concurrently with Judge Krichbaum's sentence.