Opening statements set in manslaughter trial

Opening statements set in manslaughter trial

WARREN

A jury was seated Monday afternoon, and opening statements will begin at 9 a.m. today in the trial of Regan Jelks, 22, charged with involuntary manslaughter and improperly handling firearms in a motor vehicle related to the death of Taemarr Walker on Oct. 19, 2013.

Jelks, of Warren and Detroit, was a passenger in the car Walker, 24, was driving when he was shot to death on Risher Road Southwest by a Warren police officer.

The officer involved was cleared of wrongdoing on the grounds that Walker ignored the officer’s commands and was reaching for a handgun at the time the officer shot him.

The trial is in the courtroom of Judge Peter Kontos of Trumbull County Common Pleas Court.

If Jelks is convicted, she could get more than 10 years in prison.

Chase ends in arrest

YOUNGSTOWN

Police reports said a woman led officers on a chase early Monday.

An officer on Parkcliff Avenue on the South Side about 1:30 a.m. saw a truck with no taillights, reports said. Reports said when the officer tried to pull the truck over, it kept going until going off the road at Hudson and Almyra avenues and hit a fire hydrant.

The driver, Cheryl Baird, 43, of Youngstown, was on the ground near the truck, reports said. The truck was reported stolen out of Pennsylvania.

Police charged Baird with receiving stolen property and failure to comply and cited her for a taillight violation. She was treated for high blood pressure at St. Elizabeth Youngstown Hospital and then taken to the Mahoning County jail.

Firearm, drug charges

YOUNGSTOWN

A man was arraigned in municipal court Monday on a charge of improper handling of a firearm in a motor vehicle and possession of marijuana after police found a .40-caliber pistol in his car just before midnight Saturday.

Reports said officers pulled over a car driven by Jaquez Brown, 22, of Volney Road, at Indianola Avenue near Rush Boulevard for failure to make a proper turn. Just before the car pulled off the road, officers could see him reach under his seat as though he were hiding something.

Reports said officers smelled marijuana, and Brown admitted smoking marijuana and also told them he had a gun under the front seat.

According to reports, Brown told officers he bought the gun earlier in the day at a gun show in Niles because he was once shot and needed protection. Police also found two bags of suspected marijuana and a marijuana cigar in his pockets. He is in the Mahoning County jail on $7,500 bond.

2 men facing charges

CAMPBELL

Police arrested two men Sunday afternoon.

Lawrence McRae III of Youngstown is charged with misdemeanor charges of driving under the influence and speeding.

Charlie Baker of Youngstown was a passenger in the van. He is charged with drug possession.

According to a police report, McRae ignored police signals to pull over after they caught him speeding and running a red light at the intersection of McCartney Road and Sixth Street. Police pursued the vehicle until it reached Plazaview Apartments on McGuffey Road.

Baker told police he was carrying drugs, according to the report. Police found a plastic bag containing 0.6 gram of suspected marijuana.

McRae’s blood-alcohol content sample was reported at 0.125. The legal limit for intoxication in Ohio is 0.08. He was taken to Mahoning County jail pending a court appearance at 9 a.m. today.

Baker was released on a summons to appear in court at the same time and date.

Money bag stolen

AUSTINTOWN

A money bag was stolen from an employee’s car early Saturday.

A car in the parking lot of Bill’s Place, 4471 Mahoning Ave., was broken into sometime between 1 and 3 a.m. Saturday. A money bag with $2,291.50, including cash and checks from the establishment, was taken from a vehicle belonging to an employee.