Andrus pleads guilty in stepfather’s death

DAVE MOSIER/for the VW independent

A Van Wert man accused of killing his stepfather has entered a guilty plea to a reduced charge during hearings held Wednesday in Van Wert County Common Pleas Court.

Larry Andrus Jr., 49, changed his plea to guilty to one count of involuntary manslaughter, a felony of the first degree, in connection with the September 30, 2023, death of his stepfather, Roy D. Watts, 59.

Judge Martin D. Burchfield accepted Andrus’ guilty plea, ordered a presentence investigation and scheduled sentencing for 10 a.m. Wednesday, May 14.

Andrus had originally been charged with two counts of involuntary manslaughter and strangulation in connection with the case. His guilty plea on Wednesday makes a trial scheduled for mid-May unnecessary. 

Andrus was one of eight people to appear in Common Pleas Court this past week.

Also pleading guilty on Wednesday was Alicia Funkhouser, one of two people arrested as a result of an alleged drug-related police chase.

Funkhouser, 36, of Willshire, entered a guilty plea to one count each of failure to comply with the order or signal of a police officer and an amended charge of aggravated trafficking in drugs, both felonies of the third degree.

Judge Burchfield ordered a presentence investigation in the case and set sentencing for 9 a.m. Wednesday, May 28.

Her companion in the case, Willshire resident Jesse Stemen, also 36, had earlier entered guilty pleas to amended charges of aggravated possession of drugs and aggravated trafficking in drugs, both third-degree felonies.

Others making plea changes in Common Pleas Court include the following:

Kaden Ballard, 23, of Van Wert, changed his plea to guilty to one count each of aggravated possession of drugs and possession of a Fentanyl-related compound, each a felony of the fifth degree. He then requested, and was granted, intervention in lieu of conviction and the case was stayed pending his successful completion of a substance abuse treatment program. Ballard was also ordered to the Western Ohio Regional Treatment and Habilitation (WORTH) Center in Lima for up to six months and any aftercare program required.

Brittney Barajas, 29, of Convoy, changed her plea to guilty to one count each of theft from a person in a protected class and theft of a motor vehicle, each a fourth-degree felony, and breaking and entering, a felony of the fifth degree.

A presentence investigation was ordered and sentencing scheduled for 9 a.m. May 28.

Robert K. Seibert, 38, of Van Wert, changed his plea to guilty to a charge of failure to comply with an order or signal of a police officer, a felony of the third degree. He was then sentenced to 12 months in prison, with credit for 82 days already served. The new sentence is to run consecutively to a current prison sentence.

A Van Wert woman appeared for sentencing in Common Pleas Court this week.

Brittney Mitchell, 32, of Van Wert, was sentenced to six months at the Central Treatment Facility in Toledo and two years of community control following a probation violation on charges of aggravated possession of drugs and possession of a Fentanyl-related compound, each a felony of the fifth degree. Mitchell must also undergo a substance abuse assessment and have no alcohol or drugs without a prescription. She will also be subjected to random drug screens.

Van Wert resident Scotty Saylor, 43, of Van Wert, entered a not guilty plea to one count of breaking and entering, a fifth-degree felony offense, during an arraignment hearing held Wednesday. A $5,000 cash/surety bond was set in the case, with a pretrial conference scheduled for 8:30 a.m. Wednesday, May 7.

Three people also appeared in court this week for probation or bond violation hearings.

Lance Thompson, 43, of Van Wert, admitted to violating his probation by failing to report to probation and having a positive drug screen. He was then sentenced to 48 hours in jail, starting May 2 at 9 a.m., and his community control sentence was continued.

Brianna Saxton, 28, of Van Wert, admitted to violating her bond and intervention in lieu of conviction program for failing to report to probation. A new $10,000 cash/surety bond was set in the case and a pretrial conference scheduled for 9 a.m. Wednesday, April 30.

Yusef Abdulrahman, 50, of Van Wert, admitted to violating his bond by consuming intoxicants. Judge Burchfield set a new bond, to include electronically monitored house arrest, and scheduled a pretrial conference for 10:30 a.m. Friday, May 9.