Grover Hill man enters not guilty plea

SCOTT TRUXELL/independent editor

PAULDING — Trial dates have been established for a Grover Hill man accused of stabbing and killing another man in late May.

Corbin Delgado, 20, is scheduled to stand trial August 27-29 in Paulding County Common Pleas Court. He’s facing charges of murder, an unclassified felony; felonious assault, a second degree felony, and felonious assault, a first degree misdemeanor.

The charges are tied to the May 27 death of Derek E. Pontius, 40, of Grover Hill. Paulding County Sheriff’s deputies were dispatched to a disturbance in the 16000 block of Road 24, southwest of Grover Hill, shortly before 1 a.m. Tuesday. The initial caller reported a male was being argumentative and had a knife. Deputies arrived at the scene within minutes and found Pontius suffering from stab wounds. Life saving measures were administered by deputies and members of the Grover Hill EMS and Pontius was transported to OhioHealth Van Wert Hospital, but was pronounced dead.

Delgado had fled the scene on foot but about an hour after the attack, a deputy located him in the Village of Grover Hill. A trooper with the Ohio State Highway Patrol assisted the deputy in apprehending Delgado. He was booked in the Paulding County Jail, where he remains in lieu of $1 million bond, with a 10 percent provision.

Delgado, who was indicted by a grand jury June 12, was arraigned via video earlier this week and entered a not guilty plea to all three charges. He’s been represented by John J. Hopkins, a court appointed attorney from Ottawa.