Man pleads guilty in Ohio fatal shooting

Associated Press

PAINESVILLE, OHIO

A man accused of fatally shooting a woman during a crime spree east of Cleveland has agreed to a plea deal to avoid a possible death penalty.

Thirty-six-year-old Juan Razo on Monday pleaded guilty to 16 counts including aggravated murder, rape and kidnapping. His sentencing is April 27.

Authorities say Razo is a Mexican citizen in the U.S. illegally. They say he broke into Margaret Kostelnik’s Concord Township home in July and sexually assaulted and killed the 60-year-old woman.

Authorities say Razo tried to rape a 14-year-old girl at a park and shot a 40-year-old woman walking along a bike path before the slaying. He was arrested after a shootout with law-enforcement officers.