Staff photo / Chris McBride Gabriel Hendrix, middle, alongside attorney Ross Smith, right, as he receives instructions from Trumbull County Common Pleas Judge Cynthia Westcott Rice during Hendrix’s Monday sentencing hearing in the death of a Warren man.

WARREN — A Trumbull County judge sentenced a man to the maximum penalty of 11 to 16.5 years in prison Monday for the involuntary manslaughter of Andrew Warner.

Prosecutors say Warner was a handicapped man who allowed the defendant to live in his home before being beaten to death.

Gabriel Hendrix was sentenced by Trumbull County Common Pleas Judge Cynthia Westcott Rice after prosecutors detailed the brutal nature of the assault.

Warner, 49, was found unresponsive in his Westwood Drive NW residence on May 13, 2024, his body covered in bruises.

Assistant Prosecutor Michael Burnett said Warner had provided Hendrix a place to stay as he attempted to get back on his feet.

“His kindness was repaid by being assaulted several times over a period of days, ultimately being beaten to death at the hands of the defendant,” Burnett said in court. “Such savagery deserves no compassion.”

Burnett presented autopsy photos and reports to the court, emphasizing the extent of Warner’s injuries.

“I wanted the court to see how badly Mr. Warner was beaten,” Burnett said. “In the words of the detective, he looked like he went through 10 rounds with Mike Tyson — and that is not an exaggeration. His face was swollen beyond recognition, covered in deep bruising and lacerations, with clear evidence of defensive wounds as he tried to shield himself from the attack.”

Burnett and the prosecution team requested the maximum sentence, citing Warner’s defensive wounds, autopsy photos and Hendrix’s history of violent offenses. They emphasized the lack of provocation in the attack and Hendrix’s high risk of reoffending.

Hendrix’s attorney, Ross Smith, acknowledged the brutality of the crime but urged the court to consider the defendant’s remorse and long-standing friendship with the victim.

“The sorrow and pain in my heart is unexplainable and sometimes unbearable,” Hendrix said in a written statement read in court. “I will grieve the loss of Andrew for the rest of my life.”

Rice, after reviewing the victim impact statements, presentencing reports and prior convictions, handed down the maximum sentence, citing Hendrix’s violent history and prior prison term.

“The defendant has a very high risk of reoffending,” Rice said. “Mr. Warner suffered serious physical harm and lost his life with no apparent provocation or reason.”

Hendrix was found hiding in a shed on Lovers Lane NW and arrested a day after Warner’s body was discovered.

Family members of the victim, who provided statements to the court, expressed relief at the sentencing.

“We are satisfied that the judge handed down the maximum sentence for the defendant’s crimes,” Burnett said.