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Woman gets 4 years for running over pregnant woman
By Joe Gorman
YOUNGSTOWN
Sometimes, even if the attorneys work out a recommended sentence, Judge John Durkin still has a tough time trying to decide what is appropriate.
He said Wednesday he had no such dilemma, however, as he sentenced 22-year-old Takia Wright of West Heights Avenue to four years in prison after she pleaded guilty in Mahoning County Common Pleas Court to charges she ran over a pregnant woman with her car April 27 at the Valley View apartments.
Amorniqua Lyons told Judge Durkin she suffered a broken pelvis, cracked ribs, a fractured leg and had three staples in the back of her leg. In addition, she was four months pregnant, and her water broke. Doctors told her the child would be stillborn.
She could not walk for two months, and her son was then born in August, weighing 2 pounds. He remained in the hospital until October and came home with a heart monitor and on oxygen.
“It was so hard to look at my son like that,” Lyons said.
Wright also was pregnant at the time. Police said the same man is the father of both Wright’s and Lyons’ children and was the reason for the attack. He was not in court Wednesday.
Wright pleaded guilty Oct. 20 to charges of felonious assault and child endangering for the attack on Lyons, who told the judge she was trying to leave because she did not want to argue and had to get up for work in the morning. Wright had three of her children in her car with her, including one in a child seat, and Lyons had another child in her car at the time as well.
Wright also entered guilty pleas on separate charges on counts of theft and forgery for an unrelated incident after she was arrested in the attack on Lyons.
Prosecutors and defense attorney Mark Lavelle worked out a recommended sentence of four years in prison on all the charges. A presentence investigation also recommended prison time, although the report also characterized Wright’s risk of re-offending as low.
Judge Durkin said it used to be that people would fight with their fists, and the dispute would be settled. Now, he said, they have graduated to using things far more dangerous.
“When you use your car because of emotion, I would suspect no person is worth that,” Judge Durkin said.
Judge Durkin said he had no problem following the recommendation because of the circumstances and the theft offense, which took place a couple of months after the attack.
“This is an easy call for me,” Judge Durkin said.
As part of the plea agreement, if Wright asks for judicial release, prosecutors will not oppose her motion.