Guilty plea in robbery

STEUBENVILLE - Keith Baker, 23, of Wintersville was sentenced to three years in prison on Wednesday by Jefferson County Common Pleas Judge David Henderson after pleading guilty to aggravated robbery.

Baker was scheduled for trial today on charges of aggravated burglary and rape, but county Prosecutor Thomas Straus dismissed the rape charge prior to Baker pleading guilty to the aggravated robbery charge on Wednesday.

Baker was charged after he allegedly broke into a woman's apartment on Whitehaven Boulevard on Sept. 3 and allegedly raped her.

City Police reported officers were called to the apartment around 2:16 a.m. on Sept. 3. Witnesses heard screaming and saw a man wearing a white T-shirt riding a bicycle away, police reported. Through the investigation, police reported Baker's name was mentioned.

Wintersville Police Department was notified and detained Baker on Church Street riding a bicycle.

Straus said the DNA testing came back inconclusive and part of the DNA test excluded him as being a suspect.

Straus also said there was an error in the rape indictment, which would have required the grand jury to amend the indictment.

Baker told Henderson during the sentencing hearing that he had been drinking and taking drugs the night of the incident. He admitted to climbing through the window but claimed he "never meant for anyone to get hurt."

"If not for the drugs and alcohol, I wouldn't be standing here right now. I should have gotten help a long time ago," Baker said.

Court-appointed defense attorney Eric Reszke said Baker had no prior felony record, and, because of his age and substance abuse problem, Reszke believed the sentence was fair and equitable.

Straus said the victim was satisfied with the prison sentence.

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