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Father indicted in teen assault with baseball bat
By Elise Franco
Youngstown
The father of the boy accused of beating a classmate with a baseball bat is under indictment for his involvement in the incident.
Charles E. Etto, 40, of Austintown, was indicted Thursday by the Mahoning County grand jury on a felonious-assault charge.
The assault occurred about 3:30 p.m. Sept. 27 after 15-year-old Brandon Stine and about 10 other teens showed up at the Ettos’ South Edgehill Avenue home, according to police.
Derek Etto, 16, who is accused of beating Stine with a baseball bat, told police immediately after the incident that he and the victim previously had exchanged words, and the victim made threats to harm him.
Austintown Detective Sgt. Ray Holmes said at first there was some question as to who gave Derek Etto the bat, but several witnesses present during the attack told police that Charles Etto handed the bat to his son.
“Upon interviewing about a half a dozen people, all of the witnesses stated that they observed the father ask his son if he wanted the bat,” Holmes said. “[Derek] said yes, and [Charles] gave him the bat.”
Assistant County Prosecutor Nick Modarelli said prosecutors decided to charge Etto with the felony because furnishing a bat during a fight is “like handing someone a gun and saying, ‘Shoot them.’”
Derek Etto was charged Sept. 30 with felonious assault and remains in the Mahoning County Juvenile Justice Center, Holmes said.
Assistant county Prosecutor Dawn Cantalamessa, who presented the case to the grand jury, said a warrant for Charles Etto’s arrest was issued Thursday afternoon.
He also was convicted in February this year of drug trafficking and in November 2007 pleaded guilty in two separate cases to child endangering and aggravated trespassing, which was reduced from aggravated burglary, according to court records.
Stine underwent surgery on his brain Oct. 6 at St. Elizabeth Health Center, Youngstown, Holmes said. He then was transferred to the Cleveland Clinic for follow-up tests.
The teen sustained long-term brain injuries and will have therapy at St. Elizabeth several times per week, the detective said, after speaking with his mother Thursday.
Stine’s mother, Tina Goynes, said her son is home now and beginning the recovery process.
“Brandon is doing well, but we still have a long road ahead of us,” she said. “It’s looking positive, and we’re very blessed.”
Though the past few weeks have been hard, Goynes said the family has received an enormous amount of support.
“We want the community to know their prayers and thoughts and concerns — we’re so thankful for that,” she said. “It’s been hard, but we’re making it through.”