1 killed, 3 hurt in motel assaults

Staff report

COITSVILLE

One person has been killed and three others have been injured in assaults at a Coitsville Township motel this month.

On Saturday night, police found 41-year-old Katherine L. Rydarowicz of Hubbard lying dead near the entrance to the Kings Motel on U.S. Route 422.

She had been stabbed at least one time in her upper back, Coitsville Police Chief Michael A. Morris said.

Police said they then went into the motel where they found Francis Rydarowicz, 48, in serious condition with cut marks to his throat and wrists. He was taken to St. Elizabeth Youngstown Hospital.

The two were married but were going through a separation, according to a news release from Chief Morris.

Francis Rydarowicz has at least three prior felony arrests for domestic violence. He was released in March after having served a little more than half of a 180-day sentence, police said.

Francis Rydarowicz was placed at the Kings Motel by his parole officer because he had no place to live.

Morris added that the death is being investigated as a homicide, and that Francis Rydarowicz is a person of interest.

It represents the 11th homicide in Mahoning County this year, according to Vindicator files. All 10 others took place in Youngstown.

The Ohio Bureau of Criminal Investigation and the Mahoning County Coroner’s Office are assisting in the investigation, and the weapon and other evidence collected at the scene have been sent to the state crime lab for analysis.

The shooting death comes less than two weeks after an assault in a room at the same motel, police report.

Coitsville police had issued arrest warrants for a man involved in a felonious assault there about 10:30 p.m. June 8.

They responded to a report of a male running around the parking lot of the motel with a handgun. They identified him as Nathan W. Smith, 19, of New Castle, Pa. He was bleeding heavily from a gunshot wound from the right side of his face.

Officers discovered a trail of blood leading to Room 130 where they discovered a woman, Ashley Morgan, 19, of Ellwood City, Pa., who had recently been assaulted and a large amount of blood covering the doors to the room as well as blood inside the room, police said.

Morgan had told police she and Smith, who had been dating for three months, were arguing in the room and when Morgan attempted to leave, Smith assaulted her.

Morgan told police that Smith then pointed a gun at her and ordered her to stay in the room and that if she left, he was going to kill Morgan and himself.

During the argument, Morgan took the gun from Smith. Morgan said that Smith retrieved the gun and shot himself under his chin and ran outside of the room.

Police from Coitsville and Campbell followed fresh blood drops to a wooded area next to the motel where they located a .22-caliber semi-auto handgun that had recently been discharged and is believed to have been used in the incident.

That handgun had been reported stolen from Tennessee, police said.

Chief Morris was informed by Pennsylvania authorities that a protection order against Smith was still active from a previous domestic incident involving Morgan.