Man arraigned in lawn mower assault
By Joe Gorman
YOUNGSTOWN
A Brownlee Avenue man who police say assaulted a neighbor on a riding mower Tuesday was arraigned on a felonious-assault charge Wednesday in municipal court.
Magistrate Anthony Sertick set bond at $15,000 for James Fuschillo, 53, who spent Tuesday night in the Mahoning County jail after he was arrested at his home about 6:35 p.m. Tuesday.
Officers were called to the area for a fight and reports said when they arrived, they found a 59-year-old man who is Fuschillo’s neighbor with a bloody nose and his face, arms and legs covered with cuts.
Reports said the man told police he was on his riding mower when Fuschillo rode by and the two exchanged obscene gestures. Fuschillo got out of his vehicle, punched him as he was on the mower, then knocked him off the mower and continued assaulting him, reports noted.
Fuschillo told police he was challenged to fight by the neighbor and he did get out of his vehicle, but that the neighbor threw the first punch. A witness, however, told police it was Fuschillo who hit the victim and choked him at one point.
Assistant Prosecutor Shelli Freeze told Sertick that the victim had a broken nose because of the attack.
Sertick issued a no-contact order for Fuschillo, who lives next door to the victim. But Fuschillo told Sertick via video from the jail that it is his neighbor who has been responsible for the bad blood between them.
“I’m not the one that’s been doing this,” Fuschillo said. “I don’t want to look at him. I don’t even want to see him.”
Sertick said Fuschillo is to have no contact with his neighbor. Fuschillo said that was fine by him.
“The problem isn’t with me,” Fuschillo said. “The problem is with his family.”
Fuschillo will have a preliminary hearing on the charge sometime next week.