Youngstown man gets 5-year prison term for 2011 assault

YOUNGSTOWN — A 28-year-old man charged with a brutal attack on his girlfriend’s mother with an object believed to be a crowbar is headed to prison for five years.

He may, however, still face additional charges if his victim dies.

Daniel Henkel of Saranac Avenue appeared earlier this week before Judge John M. Durkin of Mahoning County Common Pleas Court and entered pleas of guilty to three counts of felonious assault and one count of attempted murder. Three of those charges involve the same victim and would merge for purposes of sentencing.

Henkel, after some sort of disagreement, attacked the older female victim and one of her daughters sometime in 2011 causing severe injuries to the mother.

Nicholas Brevetta, an assistant county prosecutor, said the mother will never again be 100 percent healthy after the attack. “It was truly horrific,” he said.

For the complete story, read Friday's Vindicator and Vindy.com