Man sentenced to 15 years in prison

YOUNGSTOWN — Bruce Clinkscale, 34, of Lanterman Avenue, is sentenced to 15 years in prison for crimes committed against four people, in three separate incidents in the city in 2006.

Clinkscale agreed to the sentence when he pleaded guilty to the crimes at a hearing in Judge R. Scott Krichbaum’s courtroom in Mahoning County Common Pleas Court in April.

Clinkscale was convicted of two counts of aggravated robbery for robbing two men at gunpoint at a Tod Lane home in February 2006 and two counts of felonious assault for firing a handgun at a former girlfriend in June 2006, and shooting the former girlfriend’s ex-husband in the legs in the Coconut Grove tavern in July 2006.

Martin Desmond, an assistant county prosecutor, said Clinkscale was on house arrest and had an argument with his former girlfriend, Tangy Valentin, causing him to leave the residence. That caused police to issue an arrest warrant for him.

Valentin told police Clinkscale returned to the home on Pasadena Avenue and shot at her and her house, Desmond said. He later saw Valentin’s ex-husband, Jose Valentin, in the Coconut Grove tavern and shot him in retaliation against Tangy Valentin, Desmond said.

Jose Valentin nearly died because a bullet hit a major artery, and he suffered permanent leg injuries, Desmond added.

Clinkscale was on the run until his arrest in January 2007, Desmond said.