Trial begins in YSU robbery cases

By Ed Runyan

Police believe the robberies were committed with a realistic-looking toy gun.

YOUNGSTOWN — Willie Lee Davis robbed a female Youngstown State University student after she walked from her dormitory to her car in a nearby parking lot. He then robbed three others leaving their YSU apartment 90 minutes later, said Gina Bricker, an assistant Mahoning County prosecutor.

It’s clear Davis was the culprit because in the second robbery, he took the victims’ car in addition to their money and was caught in the car a short time later on the East Side, she said.

But Gary Van Brocklin, the attorney for Davis, of Bennington and Stewart avenues, told jurors Tuesday during opening statements in Mahoning County Common Pleas Court that there’s a problem with the prosecution’s case: “Not one of the girls could identify Willie Davis the night of the robbery,” he said.

Davis is on trial before Judge James C. Evans on four counts of aggravated robbery with a specification of being a repeat violent offender, one count of assault and one count of failure to comply with a police order.

If convicted of the April 22, 2007, crimes, he could be sentenced to more than 38 years in prison.

The robbery charges are for each of the four victims. The other charges allege Davis led Youngstown police officer Mike Marciano on a high-speed chase a few minutes after the second robbery on the East Side before fleeing from his vehicle on foot and struggling with Marciano during his capture.

Bricker said the reason the four women couldn’t identify Davis the night of the robberies is that his face was bloody because Marciano had to hit him with his gun while arresting him alone in some woods off Kimmel.

Even later, one of the victims identified the wrong person in a photo lineup, Van Brocklin said. And the lone victim in the first robbery identified Davis only after he was in shackles in a courtroom, he noted.

Bricker gave a detailed summary of the two robberies, describing the first robbery in a parking lot at Elm Street and Madison Avenue just north of the university around 8:50 p.m.

The student said her attacker pointed a gun at her, told her to start her car and get in the passenger seat. The car, which had manual transmission, stalled, and the robber was apparently unable to drive that type of car, so he settled for the $25 from the student’s purse and fled on foot, she told police.

A man also robbed three female students about 90 minutes later outside Courtyard Apartments, less than a mile from the first robbery, Bricker said. Courtyard Apartments are part of the YSU campus, but are owned and maintained by a private company.

In that robbery, the man also ordered one of the females to start the car and get into the passenger seat. When all three women were inside the car, the man took their money, ordered them back out of the car and drove off, Bricker said.

In both cases, the robber told the women he didn’t want to kill them but he would if necessary, Bricker said.

And in both cases, the man was described as wearing a white hat with a blue striped shirt.

Police said they found a black plastic toy gun in Davis’ pants pocket, which they think Davis used in the robberies.

Davis was previously convicted of aggravated burglary, for which he served a prison term.

Testimony begins today at 9 a.m.

runyan@vindy.com