Austin

Staff report

YOUNGSTOWN — A Knoxville Police Department social media post states a Youngstown murder suspect was arrested during a traffic stop in Tennessee on Thursday.

Nathaniel Austin Jr., 34, is a suspect in the shooting death of Isiah J. Helms, 22, whose body was found in Mount Hope Veterans Memorial Cemetery, 1945 Liberty Road, on Feb. 2.

Austin was arrested in Tennessee around 11:50 a.m. after a car in which he was a passenger was stopped for a seat belt violation. He was taken into custody after refusing to accurately identify himself to police, the post states.

Once in custody he was identified and found to be wanted in connection to an aggravated murder case in the Youngstown area.

According to the post, Austin will be extradited back to Ohio.

An April 2022 Mahoning County grand jury indictment alleges Austin and another suspect, Jamiyah M. Brooks, 19, killed Helms between Jan. 30 and Feb. 2. Helms was last was seen leaving his Plaza View Court apartment on the East Side just before 3 a.m. Jan. 30.

Court documents state Brooks pleaded not guilty at his arrainment in Mahoning County Common Pleas Court. His next court hearing is Dec. 1 before Judge Maureen Sweeney, where a competency evaluation sought by Brooks’ attorney will be heard.

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