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Pair arraigned in boy’s overdose death
By Joe Gorman
YOUNGSTOWN
The mother of a 9-year-old boy who died the day after Christmas of a cocaine overdose and her boyfriend were both arraigned in Mahoning County Common Pleas Court on charges relating to the boy’s death.
Raenell Allen, 39, and Kevin Gamble, 40, both of Midland Avenue, were indicted Thursday on charges of involuntary manslaughter and child endangering in the death of Marcus Lee.
Marcus, a student at McGuffey Elementary School on the West Side, died at Akron Children’s Hospital Mahoning Valley, where Allen and Gamble took him when he became ill.
A toxicology report by the Cuyahoga County Coroner’s Office released May 1 said Marcus died of a cocaine overdose.
Judge Maureen Sweeney set bond Tuesday at 10 percent of $50,000 for Allen and 10 percent of $75,000 for Gamble. They were not in custody when they came to court for arraignment.
The bonds were agreed upon by defense attorneys and prosecutors.
Atty. Corey Grimm, representing Allen just for her arraignment, asked the judge if his client could report on her own to the jail to be booked. Judge Sweeney denied his request because of the nature of the charges. Grimm said he expected Allen to post her bond.
Assistant Prosecutor Mike Yacavone asked that Gamble be escorted to the jail by deputies to be booked before he could post his bond. Yacavone said Gamble’s bond was higher because of a prison sentence on drug charges in 2003.
Marcus was in the care of his mother at her house when he became ill. An autopsy was performed Dec. 28 at the Cuyahoga County Coroner’s Office, which took samples to be tested. The samples tested positive and came back May 1.
The day Marcus died, police interviewed Allen and Gamble, and Allen gave police permission to search her home. Officers did not find anything out of the ordinary.
Allen was an educational assistant at the same school her son attended. She went on family medical leave at the beginning of May.
The Mahoning County Coroner’s Office ruled Marcus’ death as accidental. Police are still not sure how Marcus may have ingested the cocaine but said the amount was so large the child became seriously ill immediately.
Lakeisha Lee, stepmother of Marcus, said family members are pleased the case is progressing.
“We are definitely happy the system is working for little Marcus,” Lee said. “This is hurting our family.”