Staff photo / Ed Runyan
Eugena Russo, left, cries as she apologizes Wednesday to the loss prevention officer from the Boardman Kohlâs store. Russo got a sentence of two to three years in prison for pepper spraying the loss prevention officer after the officer confronted her in the parking lot about items she had stolen from the store. At right is her attorney, Bradley Olsen.
YOUNGSTOWN Eugena M. Russo, 38, of Randolph Street, New Castle, Pa., pleaded guilty Wednesday to robbery for shooting pepper spray into the eyes of a store loss prevention officer in order to get away.
Judge Anthony Donofrio sentenced her to two to three years in prison.
YOUNGSTOWN Robert L. Weaver III, 36, of South Turner Road in Canfield, pleaded not guilty Tuesday during arraignment to aggravated vehicular assault for an Aug. 13, 2020, head-on crash.
Weaver, a passenger in his sport utility vehicle and the driver of another car were badly injured when Weaver crashed into the other vehicle after crossing over the center concrete divider on U.S. Route 422 in the city, hitting the car coming the other direction, according to a police report.
The crash occurred a short time after a Coitsville Township police officer ended a high-speed chase. The Ohio State Highway Patrol handled the crash investigation because Youngstown police refused to do it.
Staff photo / Ed Runyan
Todd Perkins of Youngstown, left, stands with his attorney, Thomas Zena, during Perkinsâ plea hearing Wednesday in Mahoning County Common Pleas Court. Perkins was found guilty to two counts of rape involving young girls.
YOUNGSTOWN Todd Perkins, 55, of Coitsville Hubbard Road, pleaded no contest Wednesday to two counts of rape involving two children.
His plea avoided a trial scheduled for Monday.
Perkins, an electrician, pleaded no contest before Judge Maureen Sweeney of Mahoning County Common Pleas Court to a sex act involving a girl between October 2015 and October 2016 who was about 4 years old.
The girl also described inappropriate touching, said Jennifer McLaughlin, assistant county prosecutor.
YOUNGSTOWN An assistant prosecutor called Abigail L. Acosta, 23, of Victor Avenue, “a small cog in a fairly large theft ring” as he asked Judge Maureen Sweeney of Mahoning County Common Pleas Court on Monday to give her three years of probation.
The judge agreed, also ordering Acosta to perform five days of community service.
Assistant Prosecutor Rob Andrews said that as part of Acosta’s plea agreement, she must continue to cooperate with prosecutors and the Ohio State Highway Patrol, which investigated the vehicle thefts.
If Acosta fails to live up to the terms of her agreement, prosecutors will ask the judge to revoke her probation, Andrews said.
May 4, 2021
Abigail Acosta, at left, stands with her attorney, Brian Tareshawty, during Acosta s plea hearing in Mahoning County Common Pleas Court.
YOUNGSTOWN – An assistant prosecutor called Abigail L. Acosta, 23, of Victor Avenue, “a small cog in a fairly large theft ring” as he asked Judge Maureen Sweeney of Mahoning County Common Pleas Court to give her three years of probation.
The judge agreed, also ordering Acosta to perform five days of community service.
Assistant Prosecutor Rob Andrews said that as part of Acosta’s plea agreement, she must continue to cooperate with prosecutors and the Ohio State Highway Patrol, which investigated the case.