YOUNGSTOWN — The attorney for Brandon Crump asked Judge Theresa Dellick of Mahoning County Juvenile Court on Monday not to move Brandon Crump from the juvenile lockup to the county jail — despite Crump having tried to escape from the juvenile facility Nov. 15.

But the judge ordered him transferred to the Mahoning County jail and for him to remain shackled during his hearings at the Martin P. Joyce Juvenile Justice Center.

Crump, who turned 18 Sunday, is accused of committing armed robbery at the same time that co-defendant Kimonie Bryant, 24, is accused of shooting Rowan Sweeney, 4, to death Sept. 21 in the home the boy shared with his mother on Perry Street in Struthers. Bryant is also accused of shooting four adults.

Monday’s hearing was supposed to determine whether Crump’s aggravated robbery charges would be bound over to adult court, but that issue was postponed until Feb. 5 because Mahoning County prosecutors failed to provide defense attorney Jeff Kurz with all of the pre-hearing evidence in time for the hearing.

At the juvenile facility, Crump and two other males are accused of overpowering a guard and climbing an outdoor fence. Crump did not make off of the grounds, but the other two did. They were eventually recovered.

Kurz said he was concerned that moving Crump to the adult jail would endanger Crump because Bryant “feels a vendetta” against Crump and is housed at the Mahoning County jail. Kurz said he also felt the adult jail is less safe for COVID-19 and for other reasons.

Bryant, 24, could get the death penalty if he is convicted of aggravated murder and certain death-penalty specifications. He is accused of doing all of the shooting during the crimes.

Anissa Modarelli, assistant county prosecutor, asked for Crump to be moved to the adult jail because he poses a “significant risk” to others at the juvenile facility. She asked that Crump be kept separate from Bryant. She noted that an officer was injured during the escape.

Ron Chambers, director of the detention center at the juvenile facility, testified that Crump had been “pretty good” while housed in the facility except for the attempted escape.

After a short recess, Dellick said she had not transferred anyone from the juvenile facility to the adult jail in “quite a while,” but she was going to do it in this case. She said there is no one in the juvenile pod at the adult jail currently, but she will ask the jail to keep Crump apart from Bryant and any adult prisoner.

Kurz also filed a motion asking that Crump be allowed to attend hearings without the handcuffs and chains attached to his wrists and ankles.

Kurz said he had not experienced any instances in which Crump “acted up in the courtroom” or shown any signs of becoming violent. He said the case was getting a lot of media attention, and Crump being shackled could paint an unfair picture of him as a criminal.

Court officials have not allowed news media personnel to photograph, videotape or audio record any of Crump’s hearings.

The judge ruled from the bench that Crump must remain shackled for any future hearings. She cited the alleged attempted escape as a reason.

At the Feb. 5 hearing prosecutors will present witness testimony to try to establish probable cause that Crump committed the armed robbery. If the judge finds probable cause, it is mandatory that he be transferred to adult court.

It would not be mandatory for her to transfer Crump’s pending felony charges of escape and assault to adult court. Those relate to the alleged attempted escape from the juvenile facility.

erunyan@tribtoday.com