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Mother of slain Struthers boy faces Pa. charges

MERCER, Pa. — A Struthers woman is facing drug charges in Jefferson Township, Mercer County, after a routine traffic stop in March.

The Pennsylvania traffic stop was a week before Alexis Schneider, 23, was involved in a similar stop in Youngstown.

She is the mother of 4-year-old Rowan Sweeney, who was shot to death last September in her home.

In Pennsylvania, Schneider is charged with firearms not to be carried without a license; and manufactured delivery and possession with intent of manufacture and delivery of illegal narcotics, according to township police Chief Jeffery Lockard. He did not say what type of narcotics are involved.

Schneider was a passenger in a vehicle that was stopped on March 14, Lockard said.

The driver, Tyrese Altman, 20, of the Sharon area, is charged with firearms not to be carried without a license, fleeing and attempting to elude police officers, possession of narcotics, two counts of false report to law enforcement and an outstanding warrant.

Altman was driving Schneider’s vehicle, Lockard said.

During the initial traffic stop and then again at arraignment before a judge, Lockard said Altman gave authorities a different name, using his brother’s name.

Schneider was “more cooperative” than Altman, and it is not known why they were in Mercer County, Lockard said.

He also said that both Schneider and Altman waived hearings and did not enter pleas.

In the Youngstown stop on March 2, Schneider and Yarnell Green, 30, of Youngstown, were pulled over on Cameron Avenue due to one operational headlight on Schneider’s car. Schneider was in the passenger seat.

They are charged with improperly handling a firearm in a motor vehicle, for which they were both indicted by a grand jury last week.

Rowan was shot to death Sept. 21, 2020, in the Perry Street home in Struthers where he lived with his mother and Green.

Both Schneider and Green were also shot, along with two others.

Kimonie Bryant, 23, of Struthers, is charged with aggravated murder in Rowan’s death and attempted murder in the shootings of the four adults.

Brandon Crump Jr., 18, also faces aggravated murder and 16 other charges in the murder of Rowan and the shootings. Also indicted is Andre McCoy, 21, whose charges are similar to Crump’s.

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