$1M bond set for accused in robbery-shooting

A fund for the victim is at Huntington Bank, any branch.

YOUNGSTOWN — The two people accused of carrying out the armed robbery that left a KFC restaurant manager paralyzed were video-arraigned Monday in municipal court.

Bond was set at $1 million for Taran D. Helms, 22, of West Hylda Avenue, who police said is the triggerman. He is charged with attempted aggravated murder, aggravated robbery and felonious assault. Additional bond was set at $10,000 on an unrelated charge of domestic violence.

Hattie L. Gilbert, 20, of East Judson Avenue, is charged with attempted aggravated murder and aggravated robbery. Her bond was set at $500,000.

Ashlinn Sykes, 21, of Dogwood Lane, is charged with obstructing official business, and her bond was set at $25,000. She is accused of providing false information as to Helms’ whereabouts.

The three will be back in court April 7 if the case is not directly presented to a Mahoning County grand jury.

All three were arrested Friday. Gilbert was arrested at her home after detectives found the Saturn that police believe was used in the crime parked behind a vacant house at 701 East Judson. Helms was arrested at his father’s house on Salt Springs Road.

The victim, Joseph Kaluza, 42, of Youngstown, was shot in the neck. His sister said he is paralyzed from the neck down and remains at a Cleveland hospital. A fund has been established at Huntington Bank, any branch, to help pay his medical expenses.

Kaluza, a manager at the KFC restaurant on South Avenue, was traveling south on South Avenue about 10 a.m. March 24 when a light-blue Saturn cut him off and caused a crash, said Capt. Kenneth Centorame, chief of detectives.

Kaluza called 911 and then loaned his cell phone to the Saturn driver. The shooter then approached and fired, hitting Kaluza in the right side of the head and neck.

The shooter pushed Kaluza’s car a short distance into a driveway on Hilton Avenue and demanded money. He got about $300, the KFC bank deposit.

Detectives did a database search of 2001 and 2002 light-blue Saturns and came up with roughly 150 in Mahoning County. They selected potential target areas, concentrating on the South Side where they thought the suspects might be found.

During questioning by Detective Sgts. John Kelty, Patrick Kelly and Ron Rodway, Gilbert confessed to being involved in the crash and named Helms as her accomplice, Lt. Mark Milstead said. The robbery was pre-planned, with Gilbert and Helms observing the victim, the lieutenant said.

A surveillance camera onboard a Western Reserve Transit Authority bus traveling down South Avenue just behind the Saturn caught the collision on tape.