Shooter sent to mental facility

By John W. Goodwin Jr.

Shooter sent to mental facility

The shooting took place earlier this year.

YOUNGSTOWN — A city man accused of shooting one of his friends in the back of his head likely will spend the rest of his life in a mental-health facility.

Daniel Ortello, of South Bruce Street, appeared Wednesday before Judge R. Scott Krichbaum in Mahoning County Common Pleas Court for trial one day before his 21st birthday. A grand jury indicted Ortello in the murder of Seetreon A. Dothard, 29, of West Judson Avenue, and the attempted murder of K’Shawn Weaver, no age available, of Youngstown on the same day.

Ortello decided to forgo his right to a trial by jury and have his case heard by Judge Krichbaum.

Judge Krichbaum found Ortello innocent by reason of insanity. He ordered Ortello sent to the Heartland Behavioral Health Care Facility in Massillon for treatment until the court deems him safe to re- enter society.

J. Michael Thompson, an assistant county prosecutor, put only one witness on the stand during the hourlong court proceedings. Detective Sgt. John Kelty, Youngstown Police Department, was called to the stand to recount the events leading to Dothard’s shooting as uncovered by police.

Kelty said officers were called to an East Side address to investigate a man down in the street. When police arrived at the Lansdowne Boulevard address just before 6:30 a.m., they found Dothard lying face down on the street in front of the house at that address.

Dothard was dead at the scene of an apparent gunshot wound to the head.

Kelty said Weaver told police he had been walking with Ortello and Dothard when Ortello pulled out a gun and began shooting at the two men for no apparent reason. Ortello was admitted to a psychiatric unit of a local hospital shortly after the shooting.

Atty. Lou DeFabio, representing Ortello, told the court that many people could attest to Ortello’s ongoing psychiatric problems. He said Ortello “was not right” the night of the shooting.

Judge Krichbaum did not need the testimony of witnesses to determine Ortello’s mental state because a psychiatric evaluation had been provided to the court. The evaluation determined that Ortello has a psychiatric disorder, suffers from paranoid delusions and had a psychotic episode at the time of the shooting.

Thompson told the court Ortello is a danger to society and should be placed where he can do no harm.

“Mr. Ortello poses a serious threat to public safety. He has paranoid delusions that lead him to acts of violence and, in this case, murder. He also has a history of going off the medications that would prevent these acts of violence,” Thompson said.

Judge Krichbaum said the order placing Ortello in the mental-health facility will remain in place for the duration of Ortello’s life or until changed by the court.

jgoodwin@vindy.com