Four charged in Liberty home invasion

Police believe a woman enlisted the help of friends
to rob her aunt.

By JOHN W. GOODWIN JR.

VINDICATOR TRUMBULL STAFF

LIBERTY — Two area men and a woman appeared before Judge Michael Bernard for arraignment on a list of felony charges stemming from a weekend home invasion.

Another man is due in court Wednesday.

According to police reports, a Wilson Avenue couple were at home sleeping at 5 a.m. Sunday when their bedroom door was kicked open. Above the couple stood two men — one wearing a ski mask and the other wearing a Halloween mask — pointing guns at the couple.

Reports say one of the men stood just inside the bedroom door holding the gun, but said nothing. The other man, however, immediately asked “where is the money” and repeatedly told the couple not to move. Eventually the talkative intruder forced the couple to point him in the direction of a jewelry box containing $1,100.

After taking the money out of the jewelry box, the intruders asked if anything else of value was in the house. They took a necklace out of a drawer before fleeing the bedroom and the house, reports said.

The female occupant called police after the two men left the house. Police, reports said, immediately determined the men entered the home through an unlocked front window.

Township police, along with a canine unit from Beaver Township, began searching an area behind the victims’ home between Naylor-Lloyd Road and Belmont Avenue.

They found a Halloween mask and sweatshirt in the wooded area.

Officers also checked a Belmont Avenue residence, where Tera Watters, 18, of Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard, Youngstown, and Jonathan Watters, 19, of Weathersfield Township, were arrested. Officers found them sitting in a car in the driveway of the home with two opened packages for BB guns and pellets for the guns.

After questioning the Watterses and occupants of the Belmont Avenue home, police also arrested 18-year-old Greg S. Latronica, who lives at the Belmont address.

A fourth man, Randy Estep, 18, also of the Belmont address, surrendered to police a short time later.

Liberty Police Capt. Richard Tisone said police believe Tera Watters enlisted the help of friends to rob her aunt, who is one of the victims. He said police have evidence the BB guns used in the robbery were recently bought for that purpose.

Latronica and Estep are both charged with aggravated robbery, aggravated burglary and conspiracy to commit aggravated burglary and robbery. They were arraigned Monday, and both are in Trumbull County Jail on $50,000 bond.

Tera Watters is charged with aggravated robbery, aggravated burglary and conspiracy. Her father, Steven Watters, appeared in court and told Judge Bernard he would see to it that she returns to court. She was released on a personal recognizance bond.

A woman, who claimed to be the victim, asked the judge if Steven Watters would be arrested if Tera Watters failed to appear, and the judge replied yes.

Jonathan Watters is charged with aggravated burglary and complicity. His initial court appearance will be Wednesday. He is free on a personal recognizance bond.

Tera Watters, Estep and Latronica are due back in court for a preliminary hearing Wednesday.

jgoodwin@vindy.com