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Two stand for arraignment before county magistrate
YOUNGSTOWN
A man facing charges in a 2010 North Side murder, and another man charged in the assault of a Youngstown police officer both stood for arraignment before a magistrate Tuesday.
Elijah Alexander, 22, of Youngstown was before Magistrate Eugene Fehr of Mahoning County Common Pleas Court wearing the orange county jail jumpsuit. He pleaded not guilty to the murder charge.
Alexander told the court he has a criminal case pending in Campbell and he was sentenced to probation in July for a felony failure to comply with a police officer conviction.
Alexander told the court he has hired Atty. J. Gerald Ingram for his defense and the case has been assigned to Judge James C. Evans of the Mahoning County Common Pleas Court.
The magistrate set Alexander’s bond at $1 million.
Alexander is charged in the murder of Rodney Weaver during a robbery on the city’s North Side last year.
Weaver, 25, of Catalina Avenue, was pronounced dead at St. Elizabeth Health Center just before 10 p.m. Jan. 12, 2010. He was found on the ground in front of a Lexington Avenue home on the North Side, covered in blood from a gunshot wound.
Police said at that time they believed Weaver likely was shot at another location before running to the Lexington Avenue area and collapsing.
Alexander is the second suspect arrested. Thomas Wright, 23, of Halleck Avenue, also is charged in the murder. His case is also before Judge Evans.
Raymond Spires, 55, of Salt Springs Road, also appeared before the court Tuesday wearing the county-issued jumpsuit. He is charged with two counts of felonious assault in connection with an assault on an officer that led to the officer firing a shot.
Spires was arrested Aug. 12 after he allegedly fired a gun at a city resident who confronted him about animal abuse.
Police said when an officer went to arrest him, Spires threatened the officer, and the officer fired a warning shot at Spires’ right foot, which missed and hit the ground.
Spires is being held on a $57,500 bond. He is scheduled to appear before Judge Maureen Sweeney of Mahoning County Common Pleas Court on Oct. 4.
The officer was reprimanded, not for firing a shot at Spires, but for the manner in which the shot was fired.