14-year-old boy convicted of brutal attack on girl at Canton's Stadium Park

CANTON ‒ A 14-year-old boy who admitted to beating and choking a girl at Stadium Park on Oct. 6 has been sent to a juvenile prison operated by the Ohio Department of Youth Services.

Judge Michelle Cordova handed down the sentence Wednesday in Stark County Family Court, rejecting a plea from the defendant's attorney that the boy be placed in another type of facility or given probation.

"The folks that go to DYS are killing people, shooting people," defense attorney Eugene O'Byrne said.

He noted his client has already served substantial time incarcerated at the Multi-County Juvenile Attention System.

Cordova acknowledged the time served, and gave the defendant credit against his one-year sentence for 181 days already served.

Family recalls Stadium Park attack that injured teenage girl

In a letter read by the prosecutor, the victim wrote, "He deserves to be in jail. It felt horrible. He went too far."

Previous reporting: Girl, 15, beaten, head pushed under water during robbery at Stadium Park in Canton

The girl, who was 15 at the time, was seriously injured, according to investigators. She had two black eyes, which were swollen shut. She had a cut on the back of her head. She had severe bruising on her face, arms, back and knees.

When an officer arrived at the Cleveland Clinic Mercy Hospital emergency room to speak with her, the girl was critically hypothermic and covered in a warming blanket. She told police she had been grabbed by the hair and had her head shoved underwater. She said she swam into the park pond to get away.

Melissa Day, chief of the juvenile division of Stark County Prosecutor's Office, also read letters from the victim's mother and the child's aunt.

"I cannot and will not forgive you for almost killing my daughter," she wrote. "Men don't hit women. My baby is a fighter and she will get past this. You didn't break her."

The mother wrote that the boy had lured her to the park.

The mother wrote that her daughter was lucky to find the neighbor who called 911 and requested an ambulance.

She wrote that she dropped to the floor, crying, when she saw her daughter in the hospital.

Her daughter has not been the same since the attack, she wrote.

The aunt wrote that the attack was "beyond heartless, cold and cruel."

What other crimes did he commit in Stadium Park incident?

Day recommended sending the defendant to the state juvenile prison. She said he was being sent there for other crimes in addition to the attack on the girl. She said he committed all the offenses in a short time. In addition to kidnapping, strangulation and felonious assault for the Oct. 6 incident at the park, he was sentenced Wednesday for burglary, three counts of grand theft of a motor vehicle, and nine counts of receiving stolen property.

The defendant admitted on March 4 to committing the offenses. At that time, the judge dismissed a charge of aggravated robbery from the Oct. 6 park incident at the prosecutor's request, along with an unrelated theft charge.

What did the defendant and his mother say?

Given the chance to speak on his own behalf in court, the defendant said, "I'm sorry."

The boy cried during the court hearing. O'Byrne said the tears were genuine, and that the defendant had called him three times a week.

"There's true empathy there. There's true remorse there," the defense attorney said.

The boy's mother apologized to the victim's family for what he did, and said she never saw that in her son. She said he needs counseling and anger management.

Cordova said the amount of time the boy spends in prison will depend on his behavior. She said his stay will be minimal if he cooperates and obeys the staff. He could be kept until his 21st birthday if he does not cooperate, does not participate in programs, or commits new offenses.

"You hold the keys now for how much time you stay in DYS," the judge said.

Report: Violence, harassment, vacancies plague Indian River juvenile prison

Reach Nancy at 330-580-8382 or nancy.molnar@cantonrep.com. On X, formerly known as Twitter: @nmolnarTR.

This article originally appeared on The Repository: Stadium Park assault on girl, 15, results in youth prison term