43
Woman arraigned for assaulting nursing home director
By Joe Gorman
YOUNGSTOWN
A Sunshine Avenue woman was arraigned Monday in municipal court after police say she punched the executive director of the nursing home where her husband is staying.
June Westbrook, 61, was given a bond of 10 percent of $2,000 by Judge Elizabeth Kobly during her arraignment on a charge of assault, a first-degree misdemeanor.
Westbrook has been in the Mahoning County jail since her arrest about 12:50 p.m. Friday at Heritage Manor, 517 Gypsy Lane.
Police were called to the nursing home for a fight, and reports said that when they arrived, the executive director told them Westbrook had come to the nursing home and was upset with the treatment her husband was getting. Police were told Westbrook had been complaining for the past two weeks.
Westbrook was in the dining hall making a commotion when the director put his hand on her shoulder to try to calm her down and escort her to another area of the nursing home. Reports said she punched him two to three times and also kicked him in the knee. The victim had blood coming from his mouth, reports said.
Three other witnesses gave police the same account, reports said.
Reports said Westbrook told police the victim put his finger in her face, but the witnesses said the victim was punched as he was holding his hands in the air.
Assistant City Prosecutor Kathy Thompson asked for a bond of $5,000, but Westbrook’s lawyer, Richard Montgomery, asked for a recognizance bond, saying his client has no criminal record and the strain of having her husband in a nursing home has affected her.
“The defendant has a good record,” Montgomery said. “This is entirely out of character.”
Judge Kobly said she could not give someone accused of a crime of violence a recognizance bond, but she did give a lower amount than Thompson requested.