Niles man found not guilty by reason of insanity
Faced attempted murder and domestic violence charges
WARREN — A Niles man accused of assaulting his wife and engaging in a violent standoff with police last summer was found not guilty by reason of insanity on charges of attempted aggravated murder, aggravated robbery, strangulation and assault.
The ruling came Wednesday after a trial in Trumbull County Common Pleas Court, where both the defense and prosecution agreed to stipulate evidence from the June 29 incident on Sandalwood Drive.
Two forensic evaluations, conducted by Dr. Jessica Hart and Dr. Steven Nofsinger, concluded that Bradford B. Baker, 47, was in the throes of a severe mental health crisis at the time and was incapable of understanding the wrongfulness of his actions.
According to police reports, Baker’s wife was beaten, choked and threatened during the ordeal, which began as a domestic disturbance in their backyard and escalated into a standoff with responding officers.
Trumbull County Common Pleas Judge Sean O’Brien, who presided over the case, ordered Baker to remain in custody at the Trumbull County jail pending a commitment hearing scheduled Jan. 29.
The hearing will determine Baker’s future placement, which could involve being committed to a psychiatric facility.
The charges stem from a domestic violence incident to which officers responded after a call from a neighbor reporting a disturbance at Baker’s residence. Upon arrival, officers learned that Baker’s wife had been choked, punched and threatened with death.
She told officers that Baker had attempted to throw her down the stairs and threatened to sexually assault her before she managed to escape to the backyard.
Baker, who was inside the home, refused to comply with officers and threw a plastic cup at one of them when approached. After falling from a window, Baker engaged in a physical struggle with police, during which he punched two officers and tried to grab a third officer’s firearm.
Officers used a stun weapon to subdue Baker, who was then taken to St. Elizabeth Youngstown Hospital for treatment. He reportedly remained combative with hospital staff and police before being restrained.
At a prior court appearance, Baker’s bond was set at $500,000, and he entered a plea of not guilty to the charges, which included first- and second-degree felonious assault, third-degree strangulation and resisting arrest.
Baker’s wife told police he had been acting erratically for several days leading up to the incident, describing his behavior as manic and claiming he had been communicating with deceased relatives.