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WARREN -- The man who led police on a Nov. 2, 2022, chase that ended inside a Warren day care center was sentenced Thursday to 6 1/2 to nine years in prison.
Lamar Mitchell, 40, of Parkman Road NW, appeared with his attorney, Mary Ellen Ditchey, for sentencing before Trumbull County Common Pleas Judge Ronald J. Rice.
Rice did not go along with the plea deal that the attorneys worked out that called for a sentence of 57 to 81 months in prison. Instead, Rice added more prison time, citing the defendant's lengthy criminal record that showed six previous felony convictions and prison sentences.
Rice said Mitchell began his lifelong crime spree at age 17 with an armed robbery conviction.
"You have been a violent criminal your whole adult life," Rice said.
On Feb. 23, Mitchell pleaded guilty to charges of domestic violence, failure to comply with signal or order of a police officer, failure to stop after an accident, aggravated burglary, aggravated menacing and resisting arrest.
Mitchell said he was sorry for what he's done. Ditchey said he has seen a change in the defendant's demeanor in recent months after he was undergoing counseling.
On Nov. 2, officers recognized Mitchell as a man wanted on a felonious assault warrant and pursued him in a vehicle after he refused to pull over on North Park Avenue. The vehicle crashed in the area of North Park and Washington Street NE, and Mitchell ran behind, then into Precious Times Child Care and Preschool, 657 N. Park Ave.
Several young children were playing inside at the time.
Police body camera video showed officers chasing the man, who forced his way through a rear door of the day care center as an employee walking back into the center was attempting to shut the door. Officers followed the man inside and as they entered the same doorway, the suspect raised his hand toward the officers and threatened to "shoot" them. But he had no gun.
An officer attempted to use a stun weapon on Mitchell but was unsuccessful. Officers were able to apprehend him after he fled into a classroom where the young children were playing.
Assistant Prosecutor Gabriel Wildman told the judge Mitchell would be responsible for any cost not picked up by insurance for the $23,000 in damages done to the vehicle driven by Sheriff Paul Monroe -- which was struck during the Nov. 2 chase.