Robbery suspect dies after holdup

Two of the suspects were U.S. Marshals Service fugitives of the week.

STAFF REPORT

YOUNGSTOWN — Robbery suspect Donnell R. Weekley died from a self-inflicted gunshot wound roughly six hours after a holdup at the Cavalier Federal Credit Union, 2255 Salt Springs Road in Lordstown, police said.

The robbery took place around 2:47 p.m. Wednesday. The credit union is in a sparsely populated area between Bailey Road and Tod Avenue.

The three suspects fled to a house at 557 Breaden St. on the South Side, where Weekley, 25, shot himself, police said.

Police who had surrounded the house heard a single gunshot around 9 p.m.

The U.S. Marshals Service had a warrant for Weekley, unrelated to the credit union robbery, and had been searching two days for him. Weekley and another robbery suspect, Reginald Cherry, 23, both of Warren, were being sought on felonious assault charges.

Before the credit union robbery, about 11:30 a.m. Wednesday, Donnell Weekley and Cherry, along with ReCeme Jethrow, 28, and Natasa Weekley, 29, both of Warren, were involved in an attempted carjacking and robbery at Aldi’s on Mahoning Avenue in Austintown, a township police report says.

The victim there said she was unloading groceries in the store’s north parking lot when a faded red car pulled up near her vehicle. She told Austintown Township police that a man left the passenger side and pointed a handgun at her, demanding the keys to her car and her purse.

The victim said that after seeing the driver of the red car also exit, she turned and ran back toward the store. An unidentified witness then exited his vehicle and began shouting at the would-be robbers, who then walked off toward Wal-Mart.

The victim said the witness told her that when the two men left the Aldi’s lot, a woman went from the back seat of the car to the driver’s seat and drove away.

Around 7:45 p.m., deputy U.S. marshals, the violent crimes task force, Crime Suppression Unit, and Mahoning Valley Law Enforcement Crisis Response Team converged at the Breaden Street house and set up a perimeter. Cherry and Jethrow were among those who came out peacefully.

At 9:20 p.m., Donnell Weekley was found dead in an upstairs bedroom with a bullet wound to the head.

Detective Kathy Dina of the Austintown Police Department said the suspects’ vehicle was located at Austintown-Warren Road and Salt Springs Road with Natasa Weekley inside.

Just before 11 p.m. Austintown police booked Cherry and Jethrow on charges of aggravated robbery. Natasa Weekley was charged with obstructing justice.

Youngstown police said Cherry and Jethrow also may face state and federal charges for their reputed actions Wednesday.

Brett Milhoan, Lordstown police chief, said his department received a 911 call about the holdup at 2:47 p.m. from a person who said he had been in the drive-through of the credit union and saw three men in masks entering the credit union. The caller then heard a “pop” sound.

The caller was scared and drove quickly to the nearby United Auto Workers union hall to call 911, Milhoan said.

The “pop” that was heard was a gunshot, fired toward the ceiling just as the three men entered the credit union, the chief said. Only one of the three had a weapon, but it is not known what type of gun was used, Milhoan said. All three men were wearing gloves.

The robbers got cash but dropped some of it in on the floor inside the credit union and in the parking lot.

“They were in and out in 60 seconds,” Milhoan said, adding that no one was injured. No customers were inside at the time, but there were six employees inside.

Because it was near shift change, there were seven police officers working at the time, and all seven responded to the credit union within less than a minute. The credit union is less than a mile west of the police station, which is also on Salt Springs Road.

The suspects’ vehicle went on Salt Springs and was not seen by officers, Milhoan said.

In addition to the FBI and Lordstown police, the Trumbull County sheriff’s department worked on the case.