Grand Jury

LISBON — A New Waterford man accused of kidnapping a woman from a daycare parking lot in Columbiana and forcing her to a secluded area while armed with a pistol is now facing a first-degree felony kidnapping charge, along with other charges.

Jason N. Hartsough, 48, state Route 558, was one of a dozen defendants openly indicted Tuesday by the Columbiana County Grand Jury after a one-day session.

Besides the kidnapping charge, the indictment against Hartsough includes a firearm specification, fourth-degree felony disrupting public services and misdemeanor assault. An affidavit in county Municipal Court detailed what happened, with Hartsough allegedly kidnapping the woman from the parking lot of Small Wonders Daycare in Columbiana and causing her to believe he would cause her serious physical harm by forcing her to a secluded area against her will while armed with a pistol. The Columbiana Police affidavit said the victim was allegedly forced into the back of Hartsough’s truck when she arrived for work at the daycare at 5 a.m. April 6.

She allegedly texted coworkers at 6:30 a.m. “911”, “Jason”, and “Help”. Her car was found at the daycare with the keys nearby and flowers strewn about the ground. While police were coordinating with the county Sheriff’s Office for a suspected person who had an alleged turbulent history with the victim, identified as Hartsough, the Sheriff’s Office reported the victim called 911 from Lusk Lock Road, south of Middle Beaver Road. The victim gave a statement about being forced into the back of the truck and finding an axe in the back during the drive and unsuccessfully using it to fight off the defendant at the scene and trying to wrestle a pistol away from him.

The grand jury issued 13 open indictments, with two of the indictments against one person, and issued six secret indictments. Secret indictments aren’t made public until the defendant is served with the paperwork.

Ryan J. Kost, 28, state Route 14, New Waterford, was also indicted for first-degree felony kidnapping, along with second-degree felony burglary, third-degree felony failure to comply with an order or signal of a police officer and misdemeanor theft.

He was accused of allegedly ripping out the screen of a side window at a woman’s house in Columbiana and gaining entry after first unsuccessfully attempting to enter the front and rear doors of the house on March 28. According to the affidavit, once inside, he grabbed her and began to drag her into another room. When she attempted to get away, he wrapped his arms around her waist and began pulling her into another room. He also grabbed her phone. He then fled the scene and led police on a high-speed chase before stopping the vehicle.

Other defendants who were issued open indictments included:

— Eric J. White, 37, Youngstown, two counts of sexual battery, a fourth-degree felony, for allegedly engaging in sexual activity with a child victim, 13 years old, on April 12 in St. Clair Township. An affidavit in county Municipal Court described the sexual activity as inappropriate touching.

–Javon Dashawn Wesley, 30, Youngstown, second-degree felony felonious assault and fourth-degree felonies of strangulation and disrupting public services. According to an affidavit, on state Route 170 in Middleton Township on Feb. 23, a woman alleged Wesley woke her up by choking her and punching her in the face, then forced her to drive him back home to Youngstown and would not let her call 911 by taking her cell phone away from her. After she dropped him off, she drove herself to East Liverpool City Hospital to be treated for injuries which included missing teeth, cuts on her lip and a swollen ear.