East Side murder victim’s mother vows to see justice served

By Joe Gorman

jgorman@vindy.com

YOUNGSTOWN

The mother of a man shot and killed last week said outside city hall on Friday she is not going anywhere.

Cristina Olivera, the mother of Jason Fonseca, 20, and the family and friends braved the cold and stood across the street from the building that houses Youngstown Municipal Court. She said they plan on attending every court hearing to make sure justice is served in her son’s death.

“I’m not that mom who’s going to go away,” Olivera said. “We want justice.”

Fonseca was shot about 3 p.m. Feb. 17 in the street outside his East Side home on Ayers Street. A Mahoning County grand jury Thursday indicted Kimani Hodges, 20, of East Auburndale Avenue, who faces a charge of aggravated murder, and Angel Bell, 20, of Choice Court, who faces a charge of complicity to commit aggravated murder.

Both are in the Mahoning County jail.

Several Fonseca family members were in municipal court because when Hodges was arraigned there Feb. 19 in Fonesca’s death, his preliminary hearing was set for Friday.

Because of the indictment, however, there was no need for a preliminary hearing, so none took place.

There were about 30 people outside the court, some holding signs with pictures of Fonseca, including one in which he is pictured in his East High School football uniform.

Since her son was killed, Olivera said she has barely slept and cannot eat. She said the fact so many people came out on a cold day shows what kind of person her son was.

“It shows that he’s loved,” Olivera said. “That they took away a kid that could have made a difference for Youngstown.”

She said she will appear at every court hearing as the cases against Bell and Hodges proceed.

Hodges and Bell are expected to be arraigned in common pleas court March 16.