Thursday, September 3rd, 2009
Local men sentenced for robbing rural home
By Margie Wuebker
Two area men were sentenced to community control sanctions in Mercer County Common Pleas Court for their roles in a daytime robbery at a Rockford-area home.
Johnathan R. Dooley, 20, 9219 Township Line Road, Rockford, and Chadwick E. Strine, 24, 1015 Fleck Ave., Celina, appeared recently before Judge Jeffrey Ingraham after pleading guilty to theft and amended counts of burglary.
Ingraham ordered the men to complete four years supervision and to serve 90 days in jail upon notice of their probation officers. This is typically done in the event of violations. They also must pay $447.92 in restitution.
A grand jury returned two counts of burglary and one count of theft against each man. One of the burglary charges was dismissed during plea negotiations and the other was amended from a third- to a lesser fourth-degree felony.
The charges stem from Jan. 12 incidents at the home of Gino Fisher, 2808 Lee Road. The pair initially broke into the home and took video systems and games. Fisher came home later and noticed the items were missing but assumed his son had moved them to a less conspicuous spot.
The pair, who returned unaware of the property owner's presence, broke a window and entered a second time.
Fisher confronted the men, ordered them out of the house and followed them to their waiting minivan. He reportedly grabbed the keys and they made no attempt to flee on foot. Mercer County Sheriff's deputies found them sitting in the vehicle awaiting transportation to the Mercer County Jail.
