Mahoning County grand jury indicts 4 in slaying, robbery

By Peter H. Milliken

The four were indicted 10 days after the homicide.

YOUNGSTOWN — The Mahoning County grand jury has indicted four people in the March 17 robbery and murder of Demar L. Flores, 18, of Eliot Lane, who was fatally shot in the driveway of 54 Rutledge Drive.

Charles E. Smith Jr., 30, of East Florida Avenue, was indicted Thursday on aggravated murder and aggravated robbery charges.

Reginald Gilcrest, 25, of Mistletoe Avenue, is charged with complicity to aggravated murder.

Hassan Merriweather, 22, of Rutledge Drive or Eliot Lane, faces a charge of complicity to aggravated robbery.

Sarah L. Beck, 37, of Rutledge Drive or Sunshine Avenue, is charged with complicity to aggravated murder and aggravated robbery.

Firearm specifications apply to all six counts in the indictment.

Officials say the house at 54 Rutledge Drive, where Beck and Merriweather had been staying, was deliberately set ablaze March 18.

Police said the investigation points to a planned robbery, in which Flores was lured to the house on Rutledge by someone who called him before Flores was shot multiple times.

Others indicted were:

UFloyd E. Gettings, 40, of Westgate Boulevard, Austintown, theft.

UMelkanoe Bowman, 23, of Oakwood Avenue, cocaine possession.

UIsaac L. Taylor, 26, of West LaClede Avenue, cocaine possession with a forfeiture specification and illegal gun possession.

UTedarro Williams, 21, of West Princeton Avenue, cocaine possession with a forfeiture specification.

UEmmanuel C. Bunkley, 27, of Lora Avenue, cocaine possession and illegal weapons possession.

UAntwane Robinson, 26, of Hillman Street, marijuana trafficking and cocaine possession with forfeiture specifications.

UKorey F. Jennings, 26, of East Ravenwood Avenue, cocaine possession with a forfeiture specification.

UMatthew A. Douds, 27, of West Chalmers Avenue, burglary, possessing criminal tools and theft.

UNicole L. Picard, 28, of Cook Avenue, Boardman, two counts each of forgery and criminal simulation.

UDarryl B. Kimble, 22, of Trumbull Court, Liberty, felonious assault and failure to comply with a police order.

UMarques White, 21, of South Jackson Street, cocaine possession.

UMarcus Menton, 19, of West Delason Avenue, aggravated robbery.

UKevin Sabo, 31, of Miltonia Avenue, burglary and escape.