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Man held in jail for attempted murder
YOUNGSTOWN
A Youngstown man is being held in the Mahoning County jail on a $50,000 bond facing attempted murder charges in connection with a shooting in 2012.
Michael Austin Jr., 19, appeared Friday for arraignment before Judge Robert Milich of Youngstown Municipal Court on the felony charge. He was given a $50,000 bond and ordered not to have any contact with the 25-year-old man he is accused of shooting.
Austin will return to court Friday for a preliminary hearing before Judge Milich.
The attempted-murder charge filed against Austin stems from an incident last December when Deray Johnson, 25, of Youngstown was shot in the hand on the South Side. Youngstown police arrested Austin on the charge Wednesday.
Police reports say Johnson walked into St. Elizabeth Health Center about 2:45 a.m. Dec. 23 holding his hand and bleeding heavily. He was covered in grass as though he had been in some bushes.
Johnson reportedly told police he and another man were walking on Hylda Avenue when gunfire rang out. The two men ran away and hid in bushes before calling a female friend for a ride to the hospital.
The woman who brought Johnson to the hospital was parked in the parking lot of the hospital when officers arrived. Police searched the car and found a handgun wrapped in a bloodied hooded shirt under the seat where Johnson had been sitting.
Johnson was charged with improperly handling a firearm in a motor vehicle and illegal possession of a firearm. He was sentenced to four years’ probation, 250 hours of community service and ordered to obtain his GED.
Johnson had been arrested in the past for possession of drugs.