No decision today on whether to open Larosa murder trial evidence

WARREN

Attorneys for Jacob Larosa, the Trumbull County Prosecutor’s Office and The Vindicator attended a juvenile court hearing today to discuss whether documents filed in Larosa’s aggravated-murder case will be open to the public, but no decision was rendered.

Judge Pamela Rintala noted that defense attorney Rob Kokor asked Thursday that Judge Sandra Stabile Harwood handle the question instead of her — and that decision must be made before the public-records question can be answered.

Judge Stabile Harwood is assigned to the criminal case; Judge Rintala intended to handle the records matter.

Prosecutors agreed with the defense that it might be best for the same judge to handle the public-records matter and the criminal matter, attorneys said.

Larosa, 15, of Lafayette Avenue in Niles, is charged with aggravated murder, aggravated robbery, aggravated burglary and attempted rape in the death of Marie Belcastro, 94. Belcastro was found beaten to death in her Cherry Street home March 31. Larosa was found in his home a few houses away just before Belcastro’s body was found, and Larosa had blood on his hands and underwear, police said.

Also Thursday, the judges contacted Judge Timothy Grendell, probate and juvenile court judge in Geauga County, who presided over the 2012 T.J. Lane shooting case at Chardon High School before it was transferred to the adult court. That discussion primarily focused on what judge should hear the records issue.

Only a handful of juvenile cases have been transferred to the adult court in Trumbull County in the past 30 years, officials say.

Read more about the case in Friday's Vindicator or on Vindy.com.