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WARREN -- A Warren man was indicted and arraigned Thursday after he was charged with setting fire to a Miller Street SW home in Warren that claimed the lives of two elderly men.
Carroll Bruton, 73, was named on a special grand jury report charging him with two counts of aggravated murder, two counts of aggravated arson and two counts of arson, in which, Bruton pleaded not guilty.
The charges are related to a fatal house fire that killed Roscoe Toles, 82, and Etianne Whitaker, 51.
Fire crews were called at 3:39 a.m. on Jan. 7 to a two-story residential, wooden structure in the 800 block of Miller Street SW.
According to a fire report, crews arriving at the scene said they could see flames throughout the house. Mutual aid was requested as the roof and second story collapsed.
Crews also found a power-line hazard in front of the structure.
Neighbors told firefighters that three people lived at the structure, but only two were possibly inside.
Bruton interrupted the hearing multiple times Thursday. At one point, he asked Trumbull County Court of Common Pleas Judge Ronald J. Rice for a moment to speak, but he was advised by the judge against doing so out of caution for incriminating himself.
But Bruton still asked the judge for the chance to speak
"I'd like your opinion on this," Bruton said. "If I said the plea of not guilty I feel is a good thing...but it's incomplete. I would like to go with not guilty by reason of they were going to try to kill two witnesses."
Rice again advised the man to speak to his legal counsel instead of speaking during the hearing.
Trumbull County Assistant Prosecutor Charles Morrow requested to have Bruton be held in county jail, without bond. His grant was requested.
"There have been suggestions of additional physical harm to other family members including potentially burning another house down or burning other people," Morrow said.
That said, Morrow told the court he believes Bruton represents a "serious risk to the public if released on bond."
The prosecutor also confirmed that Bruton does have mental health issues.