Decision expected soon in closure of records in elderly Niles woman's beating death


WARREN

Judge Sandra Stabile Harwood heard arguments Tuesday from attorneys for Jacob Larosa, The Vindicator and the Trumbull County Prosecutor’s office and will decide soon whether to keep the records in Larosa’s murder case closed to the public.

Atty. Rob Kokor, a public defender, represents Larosa, 15, of Lafayette Avenue in Niles, on charges of aggravated murder, attempted rape, aggravated robbery and aggravated burglary in the March 31 beating death of his neighbor, Marie Belcastro, 94, of Cherry Street.

Kokor asked Judge Stabile Harwood, of Trumbull County Family Court, to close the records to protect Larosa from the “immeasurable” harm that could result to him from the release of information from documents in the event that the judge decides to try Larosa as a juvenile instead of as an adult.

If the case is transferred to the adult common pleas court, then most documents will be automatically open to public inspection, but that type of public access is not automatic in juvenile proceedings, Kokor said.

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