’Bula men arraigned in Mentor

By SHELLEY TERRY - Staff Writer - sterry@starbeacon.com
Star Beacon

September 06, 2008 05:34 am

— ASHTABULA — Mentor police are investigating a fight that might be an armed robbery, or a drug deal gone awry, police said.
Kevin Thompson, 23, and Devin Farrar, 22, both of Ashtabula, were arraigned on a charge of aggravated robbery Wednesday in Mentor Municipal Court, records show.
Police said Thompson and Farrar visited a 20-year-old Mentor man Tuesday at his Mentor Avenue apartment and a fight ensued.
The Mentor man said Thompson pointed a hand gun at him and Farrar hit him with brass knuckles, but he showed no signs of injury, police said. The alleged victim also charged the suspects stole money from him.
A female witness said she saw something metal in one of the Ashtabula men’s hands, police said.
Tuesday afternoon, Mentor police alerted Ashtabula city police to be on the lookout for Thompson and Farrar.

Ashtabula patrol officer, Adam Simons, saw their vehicle Tuesday night in the area of West Avenue and West 39th Street. He set up surveillance, and at 10:20 p.m., in a joint effort, city police and Mentor police arrested the suspects without incident, Sgt. John Koski said.
After police nabbed Thompson and Farrar, the Mentor man’s story changed. He said he was attacked after he tried to buy $20 worth of marijuana from the men, police said.
Thompson’s version of the story was different. He said he and Farrar drove from Ashtabula to Mentor to buy a large amount of marijuana from the alleged victim. The Mentor man was angry, Thompson said, because he and Farrar missed a previous appointment to buy marijuana. That’s how the fight began, Thompson said.
After sorting it all out, police charged Farrar and Thompson with aggravated robbery, a first-degree felony, a Mentor Municipal Court official said.
Judge John Trebets set the men’s bonds at $100,000, court records show.
A public defender was appointed to represent Thompson, a court official said.
However, Farrar’s private attorney got Farrar’s bond reduced to $2,500 and he is free until Monday. That’s when he and Thompson are due in court for their preliminary hearings.