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WARREN -- The third defendant facing capital murder charges in the Jan. 19 fatal fire on Nevada Avenue NW that killed 16-year-old Chassidy Broadstone was arraigned Wednesday in Trumbull County Common Pleas Court.
Zachary W. Gurd, 23, of Youngstown, appeared in orange coveralls standing by his attorney, Mary Ellen Ditchey.
She entered on behalf of her client not guilty pleas on two counts of first-degree aggravated murder with specifications of aggravating circumstances that each carry death penalty-level sentences; two counts of attempted aggravated murder; two counts of aggravated arson; one count of aggravated burglary; and one count of tampering with evidence.
Ditchey asked for some kind of bond to be set for Gurd, because he had "zero criminal record."
Meanwhile, Trumbull County Assistant Prosecutor Christopher Becker asked Judge Cynthia Rice to set no bond as was set for co-defendants, Brendan Daviduk, 28, and Patricia Zarlingo, 27, also from Youngstown.
Becker said the evidence against Gurd is strong, citing a video showing the defendant inside the home with a gasoline can in hand.
Rice set bond at $500,000 and set a pretrial hearing for March 29.
After the hearing, Becker said he had no comment about the judge's decision to set a bond.
THREE ACCUSED
Becker said at the hearing that Gurd fled to Virginia after he was named as a suspect by Warren detectives. He was caught by U.S. marshals shortly after leaving a Greyhound bus station in the Richmond, Va., area. He waived his right to an extradition hearing and was transported back to Ohio to face the felony charges. He was booked into the Trumbull County jail at 10:41 p.m. Sunday.
His co-defendants also are housed in the county jail awaiting their next pretrial hearing later this month before Judge Sean O'Brien.
The three are accused of starting the house fire that killed the Warren G. Harding High School junior and hospitalized her two sisters.
Marshals arrested Gurd on Feb. 3 in Chester, Va. Authorities believed he was fleeing to Florida after he found out he was wanted for questioning.
As a result of cellphone tracking and video cameras, he was placed at the scene of the fire holding a gasoline can, authorities said. An affidavit written by a Warren police detective showed the fire might have resulted from a "feud involving adults."
Broadstone was found lying in a second floor bathroom. Broadstone's two siblings managed to escape the fire. Marshals stated in a news release that one sustained a broken back, and the other had nonlife-threatening injuries.
Gurd was observed carrying a gasoline can, as shown on a security video, and thrown against the wall opposite of the door -- presumably from the backdraft of the fire. The man then retrieved an item suspected to be an Xbox gaming system and the gas can before the video ends.
State fire marshal investigator Todd Stitt confirmed the fire started on the first floor area, and traces of gasoline were found at the scene.