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Grand jury adds charges in woman’s murder

STEUBENVILLE — The Jefferson County grand jury on Wednesday added aggravated murder charges to two people previously indicted in the connection with the disappearance and murder of a woman and failed to take any action in connection with a July 10 shooting death.

The grand jury added an aggravated murder charge to cases involving the death of Stephanie Pytash, 35, who disappeared at the beginning of February.

Michael Shane, 49, of 408 Grant St., Toronto, and Summer R. Malyshev, 38, of 427 county Road 42, Toronto, previously each were indicted on single counts of murder, tampering with evidence and abuse of a corpse.

Jefferson County Sheriff Fred Abdalla said bone fragments found in early July in a burn pit outside the house at 427 county Road 42, Toronto, belonged to Pytash.

Abdalla said Pytash was released from the county jail on Jan. 26. She was reported missing by her mother, Susan, a brief time later.

Abdalla said he believes Pytash was strangled.

The grand jury also took no action in a July 10 shooting death near Newtown.

The Jefferson County Sheriff’s Department was called around 11:30 p.m. on July 10 about the shooting at the residence of Mica Brandi, 29, of 2580 county Road 7, Dillonvale. Deputies arrived to find Nicholas A. Alissandratos, 31, shot near the left eye. He was later pronounced dead.

County Sheriff Fred Abdalla said Brandi and Alissandratos had been drinking. Another man, identified as Charles Leroy Piper III, 36, also was in the home. Brandi said Alissandratos had assaulted her in the bedroom and she left and went into another room and grabbed a handgun, the sheriff’s department reported.

Alissandratos came at Brandi and she said she fired the gun, the sheriff’s department reported.

Piper left the house and went to a neighbor’s house, saying Brandi and Alissandratos were fighting and she had pulled out a gun. Brandi then called the same neighbors about the shooting. The neighbor, who is a nurse, ran next door and performed CPR until a Dillonvale emergency medical services squad arrived on scene, the sheriff’s department reported.

Brandi was bound over to the grand jury from Dillonvale county court on a charge of voluntary manslaughter.

County Prosecutor Jane Hanlin said Brandi will be released from her bail bond terms. She said the investigation into the shooting death will continue and additional information may be presented to the grand jury if warranted.

Jermaine Crawford, 19, of 103 Cunningham Lane was indicted on charges of felonious assault, with a firearm specification, tampering with evidence and misdemeanor resisting arrest.

A 13-year-old male was shot in the leg around 6 p.m. on Oct. 18 at Pennsylvania and Ohio streets.

Police were in the area when officers heard shots being fired. Officers said they saw two people running in an alley. The officers reported they told the men to stop but they continued running. Crawford was arrested a short distance away, police reported.

The 13-year-old victim was taken to a Pittsburgh hospital, police reported.

Brian Lee Bruce, 52, of 940 Sherman Ave. was indicted on four counts of felonious assault and single counts of aggravated burglary, attempted murder and kidnapping.

The sheriff’s department and City Police investigated a case on Dec. 1 for the assault of a former girlfriend at the Super 8 motel and stabbing of a Bergholz man at his county Road 75 home.

Sheriff’s deputies said the man was transported by medical helicopter to a Pittsburgh hospital for treatment of lacerations to the chest and forearm and the woman was treated at a local hospital.

The woman told police Bruce forced his way into her room, forced her to the ground and kicked her in the head.

City Police Chief William McCafferty said the woman also had a laceration above the eye believed to be a knife wound. He said neither Bruce nor the victim were at the hotel when officers arrived. They found her in a vehicle driven in the area by the man who was later stabbed, who said he was trying to help her.

Bruce was arrested a day later.

Devon Bellum, 29, of 263 Commercial Ave., Mingo Junction, was indicted on charges of tampering with evidence, improper handling of a firearm in a motor vehicle and having a weapon under disability.

City Police were informed Bellum had stolen a gun and a vehicle in Harrison County on Aug. 27 and may have been heading to Steubenville.

Bellum was stopped by officers in the area of North Forest Street. Officers reported they found loose bullets on Bellum and a .40 caliber magazine in the car. Officers reported walking down an alley and found the gun stolen from Cadiz.

Charles Perry Jones, 29, of 2512 Sunset Blvd. was indicted on six counts of child endangering, two counts of felonious assault and one count of felony domestic violence.

Hanlin said Jones used a wooden stick to punish a 5-year-old girl from September 2015 through March.

The grand jury also returned the following indictments:

¯ Daniel D. Karas, 31, of 124 Parr Ave., Mingo Junction, single counts of drug trafficking and possession of drugs.

¯ Brady A. McKinley, 37, of 72 Roby St., Adena, possession of drugs. He also was indicted in another case charging two counts of possession of drugs and single counts of drug trafficking, with a juvenile specification, and misdemeanor resisting arrest.

¯ Brandon L. Dunn, 32, of 203 Oakwood St., Chester, assault on a police officer.

¯ Michael T. Dufrasne, 42, of Rayland, illegal assembly or possession of chemicals for the manufacture of drugs.

¯ Melvin R. Hayes Jr., 18, of 106 Talbott Drive, Wintersville, unlawful sexual conduct with a minor.

(Law can be contacted at mlaw@heraldstaronline.com.)

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