Facing felony charges

Facing felony charges

BOARDMAN

A Warren man faces multiple felony charges after he was arrested by township police early Friday.

George Kelly, 30, is charged with improper handling of a firearm in a motor vehicle, illegal possession of weapons and trafficking in drugs.

The charges stem from an incident at a Moyer Avenue residence. There, police reportedly found a loaded pistol, marijuana, a scale and knives in Kelly’s vehicle.

Kelly was taken to the Mahoning County jail. He is scheduled to appear in Mahoning County Area Court here Tuesday.

Mother sentenced

WARREN

Jodi L. Weaver, 40, of Highland Avenue Southwest, was sentenced to two years’ probation and no jail time after pleading no contest and being found guilty earlier this month to a reduced charge of vehicular manslaughter in the death of her daughter, Alyssa Wynn, 17.

Weaver entered the plea Aug. 11 in Warren Municipal Court to the third-degree misdemeanor, a reduction from the first-degree misdemeanor vehicular homicide originally charged.

Police said Weaver was driving too fast and lost control of her pickup truck March 12 on West Market Street, causing the truck to roll a couple of times and come to rest against the Raider Lounge tavern.

Her daughter, a senior at Warren G. Harding High School, was killed. Weaver and her son, Jonathan Wynn, 10, were injured.

Arraigned in rape case

NILES

Eric A. Benson Jr., 18, of 12th Street in Weathersfield Township, and Broadway Avenue in Youngstown, was arraigned Friday in Niles Municipal Court on a rape charge after he was arrested Thursday afternoon.

No plea was entered during the arraignment, and Judge Thomas Townley set bond at $20,000.

Weathersfield police were called to the playground at the Suburban Trailer Park Thursday afternoon for a disturbance with witnesses, said Weathersfield Police Chief Michael Naples.

Police were then advised of a purported sexual assault involving a small child that had occurred no more than a few hours earlier, Naples said. Benson was arrested a short time later.

Teen’s hearing reset

WARREN

A hearing in Trumbull County Juvenile Court for Jacob LaRosa, 15, of Niles, which was scheduled to take place Monday through Wednesday, has been rescheduled to Sept. 21-23.

The hearing will determine whether LaRosa should be tried as an adult in common pleas court or if the case should remain in juvenile court.

LaRosa is charged with aggravated murder, attempted rape, aggravated burglary and aggravated robbery in the March 31 death of his neighbor, Marie Belcastro, 94, of Cherry Street in Niles.

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