County man indicted on multiple felony charges
LISBON — A Columbiana man accused of attacking a woman with a heavy wooden baseball bat now stands accused of multiple felony charges, including attempted murder, kidnapping, aggravated arson and felonious assault.
Fredrick L. Harroff, 66, Columbiana Lisbon Road, was openly indicted Wednesday by the Columbiana County Grand Jury and remains jailed under a $500,000 cash or surety bond.
He was originally charged in county Municipal Court with just felonious assault, but the grand jury issued charges of first-degree felony attempted murder, first-degree felony aggravated arson, first-degree felony kidnapping, second-degree felonies of aggravated arson and two counts of felonious assault and fourth-degree felony strangulation.
According to an affidavit filed in county Municipal Court, Harroff allegedly repeatedly attacked a woman with a heavy wooden baseball bat over her head and body while she was laying in bed, causing severe physical harm on June 2 in Fairfield Township.
One of the aggravated arson charges dealt with trying to harm the woman and the other dealt with trying to harm the property.
“Based on evidence we have, we believe he tried to burn the place down,” county Prosecutor Vito Abruzzino said.
The State Fire Marshal was involved in the investigation into the fire, which was put out. All the assault charges and the kidnapping charge stemmed from the attack against the woman.
The first-degree felony charges all carry possible penalties of three to 11 years and the second-degree felonies carry possibly penalties of two to eight years.
Arraignment is set for 1 p.m. Aug. 28. The case has been assigned to Common Pleas Court Judge Scott Washam.