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WARREN -- Three drivers appeared in Common Pleas Court on Wednesday, answering various charges of running afoul of the law in Trumbull County.
One driver, Daniel E. Stout, 63, of 598 Belmont St. NE, Warren, pleaded guilty to his third OVI charge in the last 10 years. The charge is connected to a Hubbard traffic stop on Jan. 25, prosecutors stated.
Stout pleaded to two counts of driving under the influence of alcohol or drugs that carry a mandatory prison term, a maximum of $10,000 in fines, up to a lifetime driver's license suspension and forfeiture of his 2001 Ford vehicle. He will be sentenced by Judge W. Wyatt McKay after he undergoes a background investigation done by the adult probation department.
Hubbard police records show that Stout failed a field sobriety test and recorded a 0.15 blood alcohol content after his Ford was stopped at West Liberty Street and Grandview Drive for a traffic violation.
Court and jail records show that Stout was convicted of OVI charges in 2010 in Common Pleas Court and in 2009 in Girard Municipal Court. He also had OVI arrests in 1993 and 1999, records show.
A second driver, Leroy Jackson, 19, of 629 Indiana Ave., Niles, pleaded guilty to a reduced misdemeanor charge of failure to stop after an accident. McKay gave Jackson a $100 fine, but prosecutors said because of the driver's lack of a criminal record, no probation would be necessary.
Assistant Prosecutor Michael Fredericka said Jackson was charged after the Ohio State Highway Patrol investigated an accident at Bronze Road and Griswold Street in Howland on May 15. An abandoned car was searched at the accident scene with blood found in the interior, Fredericka said. A victim later was located at St. Joseph Warren Hospital. That same victim agreed with the plea deal for Jackson, prosecutors said.
A third driver, Geovanny Pastrana Davila, 36, of North Jackson Street, Youngstown, was arraigned on charges of failure to comply with order or signal of a police officer, improper handling of a firearm in a motor vehicle and having a firearm as a felon.
Pastrana Davila had his bond reduced from $50,000 to $25,000, and McKay ordered a pretrial hearing for 8:30 a.m. Dec. 16.
The charges stem from an Oct. 13 incident on state Route 11, where the state patrol spotted a car driving erratically that triggered a lengthy chase.
The pursuit ended, a report states, with the car exiting onto state Route 5. During this time, the patrol report states the car struck the cruiser three times and eventually was stopped.
A trooper was taken to a local hospital and treated for minor injuries, a report states.
Pastrana Davila was arrested with help from Cortland police after they blocked him in with city cruisers. A loaded gun was found in the car, according to the report.
Pastrana Davila had a prior aggravated assault conviction, and assistant Trumbull County Prosecutor Diane Barber said the latest case against Pastrana Davila is very strong, with much of the incident captured on dashcam video.
Jail records show that Pastrana Davila, who has been in custody since Oct. 13, had not posted bond as of Wednesday afternoon. If found guilty of all charges, he faces a maximum of seven and half years in prison.
gvogrin@tribtoday.com