YOUNGSTOWN — As testimony began in the Danyo Sellers murder trial Tuesday in Mahoning County Common Pleas Court, two critical witnesses testified that they were in the car that drove past Martha’s Boulevard Tavern on Southern Boulevard April 15, 2023, the night 15-year-old Amya Monserrat was shot to death in the tavern’s parking lot.

Anthony Anderson and his sister Ashanta both testified, but they were not present in the courtroom of Judge Anthony D’Apolito during Sellers’ trial. Instead, their testimony was videotaped and played for the jury in what they called a “deposition.”

Mahoning County Assistant Prosecutor John Juhasz questioned both witnesses for the prosecution, and defense attorneys Aaron Meikle and Nick Cerni cross examined them, apparently late last month.

During his testimony, Anthony agreed that he was being granted immunity from prosecution “for being in the car” at the time Amya was shot. The immunity was being granted in exchange for his testimony, Anthony agreed.

Anthony, 21, testified that he had known Sellers, 19, by the name Legend Pless and had known him a couple of months as of April 15, 2023. Anthony said he had gone to the birthday party at the tavern that evening even though he did not know the girl having the party real well.

His sister, Ashanta, also attended the party, though they did not go together. He walked there. His sister got a ride there from an aunt.

He had known Saun Peterson, a codefendant in the case, for a couple months also, he testified. He knew Peterson through another friend.

When Juhasz asked Anthony if he rode in a car with Peterson that night, he said he did. Peterson had a black Mercedes Benz, he said. He was on Auburndale Avenue not far from the tavern, when Peterson picked him up.

Anthony said Peterson called him after Anthony had left the tavern and asked Anthony if he wanted to “smoke” marijuana, and Anthony said yes. Anthony met up Peterson when Peterson drove up on Auburndale in the Mercedes Benz, Anthony said.

Saun was driving. Legend Press (Sellers) was in the front passenger seat, Anthony said. His sister, Ashanta, got picked up also. Anthony sat behind Peterson, and Ashanta sat behind Sellers. Anthony said he thought they were going to the store to get rolling papers for the marijuana.

Anthony’s testimony suggested that very quickly after he and his sister got into the car, Peterson drove past the tavern and Anthony heard gunshots coming from the tavern’s parking lot. Anthony said he “bent down and covered my sister.”

Anthony said he and his sister had no gun. He could not see what Sellers was doing, but at some point he saw Sellers “sliding back in from the window.” Juhasz asked if Anthony could hear gunshots “close to your car,” and Anthony said he could.

He agreed that he also could hear bullets hitting the Mercedes Benz.

“When (Sellers) slides back into the car, could you see if he had a gun?” Juhasz asked.

“No,” Anthony answered.

“Did you ever see him with a gun that day?”

“No,” Anthony answered.

“But you heard shots that were close to the car?” Juhasz asked.

“Yes.”

Juhasz asked if Anthony could see Sellers reaching over top of the car, and Anthony said no.

Anthony testified that the tavern was on Anthony’s side of the car, not the side Sellers was on.

After the gunfire, Peterson dropped Anthony and his sister off on Auburndale Avenue, Anthony said.

Sellers was in the same room with Anthony during his testimony. And Anthony pointed to Sellers and identified him as Legend Pless, the person who was in the passenger seat of the car the night of the killing.

During Ashanta’s testimony, she said she is a college student. She said the party was not restricted to close friends of the girl having the birthday. She saw Anthony at the party. She knew Peterson through Anthony. She likewise knew Legend Pless through her brother, she said.

She and Anthony left the party at the tavern on foot after their aunt called her, and their mother called Anthony to say that someone posted on Facebook that “somebody was fighting and shooting at the party.”

She said she and her brother went to Auburndale to a relative’s house and Peterson called Anthony about smoking. Peterson stopped on Auburndale and picked up Anthony and her. Peterson was in the driver’s seat, Sellers in the front passenger seat. She was in the seat behind Sellers, and Anthony was behind Peterson.

She said she thought Peterson was taking them to a store. But when they passed the party at the tavern, she said she heard someone say ‘There goes the car.’ I seen people running and the next thing I know, shots was let off,” she said.

She said the tavern was on the same side of the car as her brother. That was the side where the person said “There goes the car,” she agreed under questioning by Juhasz.

She said the gunfire came from the parking lot, but “after a while the shots sounded closer, so I knew someone in the car was firing back.” She and her brother got down lower in the car. She said Peterson did not have a gun. She could not see if Sellers had a gun.

“Did you see (Sellers) do anything, however?” Juhasz asked.

“Other than hanging out the window, no,” she said. She agreed that Sellers was hanging out the window while the gunfire was going on. She said she was screaming, and Peterson dropped her and her brother off, apologizing. She said neither she, Peterson or her brother had a gun that night, and she did not see Sellers with a gun.

She also pointed to Sellers and identified him as the person in the front passenger seat that night.

Under cross examination by Cerni, she said she did not see any guns being fired from the parking lot. When Juhasz asked her later how Sellers was positioned in the window, she said he was facing the parking lot, which was on the driver’s side of the car.

Youngstown Police Crime Lab technician Shakir Perkins testified to the location of bullet shell casings, bullets and vehicles involved in the incident at the tavern were located and collected. He testified to collecting about 15 bullet shell casings in multiple locations around the tavern and a block down the street.

The trial resumes this morning.