Competency evaluation likely to set back suppression hearing for Niles boy charged with murder

Staff report

WARREN

A hearing to determine whether to suppress evidence gathered in the aggravated-murder case of Jacob Larosa of Niles is likely to be pushed back again.

Larosa, 16, of Lafayette Avenue, was in court with his attorneys Wednesday for a discussion of how to proceed in his case now that he will be evaluated by the Forensic Psychiatric Center of Northeast Ohio in Austintown to determine whether he is mentally competent to stand trial in the killing of his elderly neighbor.

Larosa was 15 when Marie Belcastro, 94, of Cherry Street of Niles, was found brutally murdered in her home March 31, 2015. Prosecutors have described having blood, video and other evidence in building their case that Larosa is guilty of Belcastro’s aggravated murder, attempted rape, aggravated robbery and aggravated burglary.

Larosa is being tried as an adult and could get up to a life in prison without parole sentence if convicted.

The evidence suppression hearing is set for Jan. 27, but Chris Becker, assistant Trumbull County prosecutor, said it takes eight to 12 weeks for a psychiatrist to evaluate someone for competency and submit a report to the court.

And because a competency evaluation prevents a criminal case from proceeding until it is done, the suppression hearing will most likely have to be rescheduled, Becker said.

Judge W. Wyatt McKay set another hearing for Feb. 8 to discuss future hearing dates, including a possible new trial date. It is set now for March 20.