Columbus police question Liberty man

He was arraigned locally on two counts of felonious assault.
By TIM YOVICH
VINDICATOR TRUMBULL STAff
WARREN -- Jason Howard of Liberty, a person of interest to police in the shooting deaths of a Columbus family of four, is not cooperating with authorities.
Howard, 24, of Catherine Street, refused Thursday to give municipal Judge Terry Ivanchak his address during a video arraignment from the Trumbull County Jail. He also was uncooperative with his jailers.
Howard also refused to respond when the judge asked if he was going to hire his own lawyer or wanted a public defender assigned to him.
The judge entered an innocent plea on Howard's behalf and ordered that a public defender be assigned to him.
Judge Invanchak ordered Howard held without bond.
Howard, who has a police record that includes domestic violence, drugs and assaults, faces two counts of felonious assault here.
He is accused in Sunday's shooting of Mario Sowell, 30, of First Street, and Wednesday's shooting of Dontai Young, 26, of Lane Drive.
He is also being questioned by Warren police in the shooting death of Phillip Dally, whose body was found Monday in a vacant lot on Front Street.
Bodies found
Meanwhile, Sgt. Michael Woods, a spokesman for Columbus police, said the four bodies found there Wednesday are those of Jameila West, 28; her daughter, Jamiere Erwin, 10; and sons, Trever Williams, 6, and Jakia Howard, 3. All had been shot.
Jakia is Howard's son with West, Woods said.
The bodies were discovered by relatives from Warren who went to Columbus because they hadn't heard from West lately.
Woods said the four had been dead for a few days.
Columbus police have been here, investigating the slayings there. They said Columbus homicide detectives have questioned Howard but didn't know if he cooperated.
In the Warren cases, Sowell was shot Sunday by a man he didn't know but who gave him a ride. Sowell told police at the time that once his assailant got into the car, he pulled a handgun and demanded cash.
When Sowell told the gunman he didn't have any money, he was ordered to drive around. Once on West Park Avenue, the gunman ordered Sowell out of the car and onto the ground and shot him in the stomach, he told police.
Young told police he was shot in the arm at Mahoning Avenue and Summit Street by a man he knows. No motive was given for the shooting.
Had been sought
Police had been looking for Howard most of Wednesday in the shootings of Sowell and Young.
Police located him in an upstairs bedroom of a Kenilworth Avenue home. He had threatened to kill himself but eventually decided to surrender to police. No gun was found in the house, police said.
Howard is also on two probations in Warren Municipal Court.
David J. Demenick, court probation officer, said Howard was placed on two years' probation May 16 for assault. A 120-day jail sentence was suspended.
He was also sentenced to five years' probation July 29, 2004, for domestic violence. A 180-day jail sentence was suspended.
yovich@vindy.com