South Side teen charged in fight at Taft School

Staff report

YOUNGSTOWN

An 18-year-old remains jailed in lieu of $55,000 bond on aggravated riot and aggravated trespassing charges stemming from a large fight March 17 on the grounds of Taft Elementary School on the South Side.

Blake Valentin, of East Philadelphia Avenue, was arrested and jailed Thursday and video-arraigned Friday before Judge Robert Milich of municipal court. His preliminary hearing will be at 1:30 p.m. Thursday before the same judge.

Aggravated riot is a fourth-degree felony charge, which alleges Valentin participated in disorderly conduct with four or more other people to commit a violent offense. The aggravated trespassing charge is a first-degree misdemeanor.

Besides Valentin, others facing the same charges are 14- and 16-year-old males from West Judson Avenue and a 15-year-old male from Guss Avenue.

The fight occurred on a Saturday when the school was closed.

The charges were filed after a YouTube video showing the fight was posted on the police department’s Facebook page.

The video shows a shirtless teen wearing black shorts fighting another teen. Multiple observers stood nearby, with several taking video of it. The video shows chaos eventually erupting, with multiple simultaneous fights occurring.

Police Chief Rod Foley said the fight was not a staged event, but arose spontaneously between two groups that had a prior dispute over use of a basketball court.

He said police sought to charge every fight participant who is identifiable from the video.