Jury gets aggravated robbery case

May 12, 2015 at 12:00a.m.

YOUNGSTOWN

Prosecutors told jurors in closing arguments Monday that they had evidence linking Joseph Mascarella to six separate robberies in the fall of 2013.

But defense attorney Jeff Limbian countered that prosecutors have no fingerprints, no DNA evidence, suspect eyewitness identification and two co-defendants who already are serving sentences for their role in the crimes who testified under oath that Mascarella was never involved in any of the robberies.

Mascarella, 20, is on trial for 15 counts of aggravated robbery before Judge Lou D’Apolito for the robberies, which took place between Sept. 30 and Oct. 18, 2013. Four of the robberies were on the South Side and one each was on the East and West sides.

Jurors were given the case to deliberate shortly before lunch Monday and were released about 4:40 p.m. without reaching a decision. They are expected to be back today at 9 a.m. today to continue deliberations.

Both sides rested their case Friday. Mascarella did not testify.

Testimony began last Monday and jurors heard witnesses and also have video taken from all six robberies.

Assistant Prosecutor Dawn Cantalamessa said police found the car they believed was used in five of the robberies at a West Midlothian Boulevard home where Mascarella was staying and hiding in the basement from police when he was found.

She said found at the home were registers, gift cards and wallets from victims and the places that were robbed. Also found was a bicycle used in the first robbery, which Cantalamessa said Mascarella carried out and used the proceeds to purchase the car.

Cantalamessa said Mascarella and his two accomplices were getting bolder before they were caught.

“They’re very impatient, very cocky,” Cantalamessa said. “They want what they want.”

She said Limbian’s strategy was to blame a third person who was later killed for carrying out Mascarella’s role in the robberies.

Limbian said there is no direct evidence linking his client to any of the robberies. He said two eyewitness identifications of Mascarella in court are suspect because the robbers had their faces covered except for their eyes.

Limbian said there is no way the two can be sure Mascarella was the one who robbed them just by looking at his eyes.