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Second man faces charges in homicide
The man was carrying illegal drugs at the time of his arrest.
The second of two men charged with murder in the city’s most recent homicide has appeared in court and is being held in the Mahoning County jail.
Alan M. Johnson, 22, of Elm Street, appeared Wednesday before Magistrate Anthony Sertick, Youngstown Municipal Court, for arraignment on murder charges. He also is charged with possession of crack cocaine because officers found what is believed to be crack cocaine in his pockets at the time of his arrest.
Prosecutors, during the arraignment process, told the court that Johnson’s criminal record includes drug charges, obstruction of official business, aggravated burglary and kidnapping.
Sertick set bond for Johnson at $1 million for the murder charge and an additional $10,000 for the drug charge.
Marcel Roberson, 27, of Tod Lane, is charged with murder as a codefendant with Johnson. Roberson was arraigned earlier this week and also is being held in the Mahoning County Jail on $1 million bond.
According to police, members of the Mahoning Valley Violent Crimes Task Force and the Youngstown Police Department’s Street Crime Unit were conducting surveillance on a Tyrell Street home Tuesday looking for Johnson. Johnson and Jerome Carter, 22, of Tyrell Street, were seen coming out of the home just after 4 p.m.
Officers placed Johnson under arrest at that time and searched his pockets. According to reports, officers found one large bag containing three small bags of what is believed to be crack cocaine in Johnson’s pants.
Police also searched Carter and found five plastic bags containing what police believed to be marijuana and more than $1,300 in cash. Carter was charged with possession of marijuana and released on his own recognizance. He is due back in Youngstown Municipal Court on Feb. 10.
Johnson and Roberson are charged in the murder of 38-year-old Kevin Hart of Zents Avenue. Police found Hart dead in his car at Logan and Zents avenues at 12:25 p.m. Dec. 11.
Hart had been shot multiple times in the back.
A witness told police someone wearing a black jacket in a light-gold Blazer or Bravada exited the vehicle, pointed a chrome pistol at Hart and fired several times. The shooter then got back into the car and sped off west on Zents, the witness told police.
Hart is the 23rd person slain in Youngstown this year, according to Vindicator files.
There were 28 homicides in the city last year.
jgoodwin@vindy.com