Two indicted in Ayers Street homicide

Staff report

YOUNGSTOWN

A Mahoning County grand jury Thursday indicted two people in the death of 20-year-old Jason Fonseca on Feb. 17.

Kimani Hodges, 20, of East Auburndale Avenue, faces a charge of aggravated murder, while Angel Bell, also 20, of Choice Court, faces a count of complicity to commit aggravated murder.

Fonseca was shot outside his Ayers Street home on the city’s East Side in the middle of the street. Police say Hodges shot him over an argument the three were having over a car.

Bell is accused of threatening Fonseca, and she was also with Hodges when Fonseca was shot.

Hodges was arrested several hours after Fonseca was shot. He is in the Mahoning County jail on $1 million bond. Bell was arrested Wednesday on the complicity charge and is in jail on $100,000 bond.

The grand jury also indicted Bryan Whitehurst, 41, of South Lincoln Avenue, Alliance, on a charge of aggravated vehicular homicide, failure to comply with the order or signal of a police officer and two counts of operating a vehicle while under the influence of alcohol or drugs.

Whitehurst is charged with causing an accident about 2:30 a.m. Jan. 16 that killed Curtis Bauer, 43, of Alliance. Reports said Whitehurst ran a red light at Ohio Avenue and 12th Street in Sebring and drove at a high rate of speed on Ohio Avenue into Beloit, where he failed to make a curve, went off the left side of the road and struck a tree and a house. Reports said he did that when a Sebring police officer was about to pull him over, reports said.

Reports said Bauer was a passenger in the car and was killed when he was partially ejected from the vehicle because of the crash.

Those indicted by the grand jury will be arraigned in common pleas court before Judge John Durkin. Others indicted:

William L. Toth, 45, South Portland Avenue, four counts of rape and two counts of gross sexual imposition.

Wallace Lewis, 26, Steel Street, being a felon in possession of a firearm, improperly handling a firearm in a motor vehicle and receiving stolen property.

Joseph T. Slagle, 20, Boardman-Canfield Road, Boardman, burglary.

Ryan J. Schulte, 20, Robinwood Avenue, burglary.

Hakeem Arrington, 24, Clay Street, possession of heroin, possession of cocaine and possession of drugs.

William Pachell, 38, Humbolt Street, theft.

Benjamin Mayes, 35, West Woodland Avenue, trafficking in marijuana with a forefeiture specification.

Wendell Schlais, 25, Caroline Drive, Hubbard, possession of heroin, possession of a drug abuse instrument and possession of drug paraphernalia.

Tracie A. Roberts, 35, Woodland Run, Canfield, illegal processing of drug documents.

Joseph Beary, 50, Fairfield Avenue, Columbiana, possession of cocaine, two counts of operating a vehicle while intoxicated, resisting arrest, obstructing official business and driving under suspension.

Kevin Henderson, 28, Halls Heights Avenue, illegal conveyance of prohibited items into a detention facility and possession of heroin with a forfeiture specification.

Lily Higgins, 27, Brookfield Drive, Boardman, possession of heroin.

Ashley Sellars, 21, Crandall Avenue, felonious assault and failure to stop after an accident.

Jason M.Dean, 42, Ellsworth Road, North Jackson, four counts of breaking and entering.

Bambi L. Shiley, 26, Fifth Street Struthers, three counts of child endangering.

Ronald E. Higham Jr., 39, Fifth Street, Struthers, three counts of child endangering.

Derek V. Tensley, 39, Arlington Avenue, escape.

John Hall, 43, Turner Road, Canfield, failure to register and failure to verify address.

David L. Lanning, 31, Ottawa Avenue, burglary, safecracking and theft.

John T. Lanning, 33, Ottawa Avenue, burglary, safecracking and theft.

John W. Young Jr., 26, Harris Street, Warren, burglary, safecracking and theft.

Preston L. Kemble, 29, West Park Avenue, Warren, burglary, safecracking and theft.