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Sentencing to he held at later date
By Joe Gorman
YOUNGSTOWN
A Mahoning County Common Pleas Court judge found a grandmother guilty Monday on a child endangering charge that resulted in the death of her 4-year-old grandson in her North Side apartment in July.
After a bench trial of a little more than an hour, Judge R. Scott Krichbaum found Pamela Easterly, 52, of Fairgreen Avenue, guilty. A sentencing date has not been set.
Easterly was watching her grandson, Raytwon Briggs, 4, and another child when Raytwon suffered a gunshot wound to the head July 8 and died.
Police believe the death is accidental, but they still have not said if Raytwon or the other child fired the fatal shot.
A spokesman for Judge Krichbaum said just four witnesses testified, including Detective Sgt. David Sweeney, lead investigator on the case for the city police department; and Easterly, who took the stand on her own behalf.
Easterly is free on bond until her sentencing.
Police said there were three loaded handguns in the room where Raytwon was found.
Easterly was indicted because prosecutors believed it was her responsibility to be keeping an eye on the children and to know what was in her apartment. The charge is a third-degree felony.
Her indictment said Easterly failed to properly supervise children in her care and created a risk to their safety that resulted in the death of her grandson.
Police have not said whom the guns in the home belonged to.