Suspect in killing surrenders

March 15, 2011 at 12:00a.m.

Jerry Smith, Sr.

YOUNGSTOWN

The 53-year-old man facing charges in the city’s most recent homicide is in Mahoning County jail on a $750,000 bond and scheduled for a preliminary hearing next Tuesday.

Jerry Smith Sr., 53, of Tremble Avenue, Campbell, appeared for arraignment Monday before Magistrate Anthony Sertick of Youngstown Municipal Court on a murder charge. The arraignment took place shortly after Smith surrendered to police Monday morning.

City prosecutors told the court Smith has prior arrests for domestic violence, theft and violation of a protection order. They asked the court to impose a $1 million bond.

Smith told the court he is employed part time at a child-development center and initially was given a court-appointed lawyer, however, Atty. Mark Hanni informed the court he had been retained by Smith’s family.

Hanni would not speak to circumstances around the charges against his client, but said he believes the bond is still excessive.

“A bond is for flight risk. He has already shown he is not a flight risk by turning himself in first thing this morning,” he said.

Smith is charged in the shooting death of 20-year-old Tyler Simpson of Dover Street. Simpson was found face down on the sidewalk outside 1210 Kimmel Street just before 6 p.m. Saturday. He was dead at the scene.

A witness told police Simpson was at the residence when an argument broke out among some of the people inside. The witness said a 53-year-old Campbell man pulled out a silver semiautomatic handgun and began shooting, according to a police report.

Simpson reportedly went outside, and the man followed, shooting Simpson once in the abdomen and once in the right side of the face.

According to police reports, an officer had spoken with Smith about shootings at the house moments before the fatal Saturday shooting.

Reports say an officer, while inside a store on Garland Avenue, spoke with Smith who said his home, the Kimmel address, had been shot at the previous night. Smith reportedly told the officer his daughter has moved back into the house and keeps letting “thugs” come around. He said the activity with the daughter had caused arguments between himself and his wife.

The officer reported the 911 call for the shooting came in shortly after Smith left the convenience store.