DeFoor pleads guilty to burglary


By John W. Goodwin Jr.

The man must still face another burglary charge.

WARREN — The city man who broke into an elderly woman’s home twice in one day — getting shot the second time — will be spending some time in prison, but not for that burglary.

Steve DeFoor, 49, of Hayes Avenue Southwest, entered a guilty plea to burglary earlier this week before Judge Wyatt McKay Trumbull County Common Pleas Court.

DeFoor will spend eight months incarcerated at Lorain Correctional Institute.

The sentence stems from a charge of burglary from Warren police in June after DeFoor broke into his neighbor’s apartment on Hayes Avenue on June 6, 2008.

DeFoor could have been sentenced to up to 18 months in prison for the burglary conviction.

DeFoor still must face a pending charge of aggravated burglary that could land him in prison a lot longer than 18 months. That charge stems from a burglary in February.

Kurfward Hutton, 68, told police he was staying with his disabled sister on Wallace Street Southeast on Feb. 18 when DeFoor broke into the house about 8:45 p.m. and demanded money while holding a 12-inch knife. Hutton said he knew DeFoor by name.

Hutton said he fired a pistol at DeFoor but missed, and DeFoor fled. Hutton called police, who investigated but did not locate DeFoor at that time.

About 10:30 p.m., DeFoor broke in again, Hutton told police.

This time, Hutton fired twice, hitting DeFoor both times, and DeFoor left the residence again, this time badly injured.

DeFoor made it to a home on Wick Street Southeast not far away, went inside uninvited and was later taken by ambulance to Forum Health Trumbull Memorial Hospital, police said.

The case will be heard in the courtroom of Judge Peter Kontos of Trumbull County Common Pleas Court. DeFoor is scheduled to have a mental-health evaluation before his next court appearance.

If convicted of aggravated burglary, DeFoor faces up to 10 years in prison.

jgoodwin@vindy.com