Trial starts after defendant rejects plea offer

Staff report

YOUNGSTOWN

A suspect in an April 11 homicide at a North Side apartment complex rejected a plea offer in Mahoning County Common Pleas Court.

Because of the rejection, Jermaine Tubbs, 26, will go on trial today in the shooting death of Michael Brooks, 52, who was shot and killed during a domestic dispute at a DuPont Street apartment on the North Side.

Prosecutors offered to drop a charge of being a felon in possession and a firearm specification on the murder charge and recommend a sentence of 15 years to life in prison. Tubbs rejected that offer.

He faces a maximum sentence of 21 years to life if convicted.

Jurors are expected to report to the courtroom of Judge Anthony D’Apolito to be selected to hear the case.

Police said Brooks was the stepfather of Tubbs’ girlfriend. Tubbs and the woman were arguing at the apartment, and Brooks came to pick up his stepdaughter.

Brooks and Tubbs then argued before Brooks was shot, police said. Tubbs ran into some nearby woods that day but surrendered to police the next day. He has been in the county jail since his arrest.

Police said they were able to focus on Tubbs as a suspect quickly because there were several witnesses present when Brooks was shot, investigators said.