Woman withdraws plea in patient abuse case; goes to trial in August

YOUNGSTOWN — A former aide at a Boardman assisted-living facility aide has withdrawn her guilty plea to patient abuse in an incident last summer, in which an 87-year-old patient fell and broke his hip three weeks before his death.

Iindia Weatherly, 20, of Staatz Drive, will have a jury trial Aug. 2 before Judge R. Scott Krichbaum of Mahoning County Common Pleas Court on the fourth-degree felony charge, which carries a possible six-to-18-month prison term.

At what was to have been a sentencing hearing today, Weatherly apologized for being careless, but said she never assaulted or intended to hurt the alleged victim, Donald Oliver, in the July 30, 2009, incident at the Sateri Homes residence, 102 Boardman-Canfield Road.

For the complete story, see Thursday's Vindicator and Vindy.com