Paulding Co. murder trial still delayed

SCOTT TRUXELL/independent editor

PAULDING — A trial tied to a fatal stabbing in the Grover Hill area remains on hold.

Jury selection was scheduled to begin Wednesday in Paulding County Common Pleas Court in the case of Corbin Delgado, 20, of Grover Hill, who’s facing charges of murder, an unclassified felony; felonious assault, a second degree felony, and assault, a first degree misdemeanor. The trial was scheduled to last three days.

The charges against Delgado are connected to the late May death of Derek E. Pontius, 40, of Grover Hill.

According to documents filed with the court, Delgado was permitted to enter a plea of not guilty by reason of insanity along with his original not guilty plea. Judge Tiffany Reighter Beckman signed the order last month. Delgado was expected to undergo at least one mental health evaluation to determine his competency to stand trial.

“We are awaiting the reports from his evaluations with Court Diagnostic & Treatment Center,” Pretrial Supervision Officer/Court Assistant Melissa Daeger said to an email inquiry about the status of the trial.

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. May 27. 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 in late June and entered a not guilty plea to all three charges. He’s being represented by John J. Hopkins, a court appointed attorney from Ottawa.