Plea ends 18-month Youngstown murder probe

January 29, 2007 at 1:49p.m.

YOUNGSTOWN — A Shirley Road man has pleaded guilty to murder in the August 2005 shooting death of Michael S. Olenik Jr.

Olenik, 28, of Thalia Avenue, was found dead at the wheel of his car at East Federal and Boardman streets on Aug. 8, 2005.

Jonah F. Ortiz, 26, was indicted on a charge of aggravated murder with a gun specification in the case in March 2006 but had yet to go to trial.

Trial was set to begin today before Judge John M. Durkin of Mahoning County Common Pleas Court, but Ortiz agreed to a plea agreement before a jury was seated.

He pleaded guilty to a charge of murder with a gun specification and was immediately sentenced by Judge Durkin to 15 years to life on the murder count plus 3 years on the gun specification.