Witness testifies in meth-lab case

By Joe Gorman

jgorman@vindy.com

YOUNGSTOWN

A woman who lived with a man on trial for making methamphetamine and endangering children testified Tuesday in Mahoning County Common Pleas Court that her children became ill in the home.

The woman, who said she was a “roommate” of Brent Herman, 42, of Shields Road, Boardman, said her children suffered from flu-like symptoms when they lived in the house.

She ultimately called the police, she testified, Feb. 11, 2017, because Herman took the fuses out of the fuse box and removed the home’s heating system.

While police were there, she gave them a box of needles she said she found in the attic among her children’s belongings. That took place after officers were there earlier in the day because Herman’s mother wanted the witness out of the house.

Herman is charged with illegal possession of chemicals to manufacture drugs and endangering children. A jury was selected in his trial before Judge Anthony D’Apolito.

The witness also testified Herman told her the ingredients for making methamphetamine.

She said it took awhile for her to move herself and her children out because she did not have the money. She said she was actively looking for a place to stay. She said his bedroom and the garage had padlocks on them, and the only person who had a key was Herman.

Two days after Boardman police were at the home, they came back with a search warrant and found what they said was a methamphetamine lab in the garage.

Prosecutors tried to introduce text messages to the jury they said were on Herman’s phone, but they were unsuccessful after objections from defense attorney John Juhasz that the state did not lay a proper foundation to introduce them.