Austintown beating victim has brain surgery

Austintown

The victim of a Sept. 27 beating is in the beginning stages of recovery after brain surgery.

The 15-year-old Austintown teen has been in the hospital since the day of the attack, when he was hit in the head with a baseball bat.

Derek Etto, 16, of South Edgehill Avenue, was charged Sept. 30 with felonious assault and is in the Mahoning County Juvenile Justice Center, said Austintown Detective Sgt. Ray Holmes.

The assault occurred at about 3:30 p.m. after the victim and about 10 other teens showed up at Etto’s home, according to a police report. Etto told police immediately following the incident that he and the victim had previously exchanged words, and the victim made threats to harm him.

He told police the victim punched him in the head and pulled out a knife, but Holmes said no knife was found, and none of the witnesses saw one.

“There was no knife ... Not one witness saw a knife,” Holmes said.

Read more in Friday’s Vindicator and Vindy.com