Man indicted in missing teen case
Staff report
ASHTABULA
The suspect in the disappearance of a Warren teen whose bones were found in his yard last August has been indicted by an Ashtabula County grand juiry.
James Brooks, 41, was indicted on two counts of involuntary manslaughter, and counts of kidnapping, trafficking in persons, abduction, tampering with evidence, compelling prostitution, gross abuse of a corpse, aggravated possession of drugs, possession of cocaine, possession of heroin and possession of criminal tools.
Brooks already had been indicted on the abuse-of-a-corpse and drug charges. The remaining counts came via superseding indictment.
Members of the Trumbull Ashtabula Group drug task force serving a search warrant Aug. 20, 2015, at Brooks’ home on U.S. Route 6 in Roaming Shores found human remains later identified as belonging to Alesha Bell, 18, of Warren. Her death was ruled a homicide by the Ashtabula County Coroner’s Office.
The warrant was being served as part of a drug investigation, but authorities had suspected that Brooks was somehow tied into the disappearance of Bell.
Warren police had gone to Brooks’ house Aug. 5 to question him about Bell’s disappearance, and Brooks indicated he had seen her the previous week but denied knowing where she was. Bell was reported missing by her mother July 23.
Brooks previously had addresses in Warren on Southern Boulevard and Ferndale Avenue Southwest. Records show he has been to prison at least twice.