Teen 'escapes' with no additional time
Aug. 5—LIMA — A Lima teenager serving a 28-year prison term for his role in the January 2020 armed robberies at Hermies Party Shop and Little Caesar's pizza in Lima will serve no additional time for escape.
Juan Freeman II, 18, appeared in Allen County Common Pleas Court on Thursday and pleaded guilty to one count of escape, a felony of the second degree. He will be sentenced at a later date but Judge Terri Kohlrieser said she would follow a joint recommendation from attorneys that the sentence be served concurrently with Freeman's current sentence.
Freeman was a juvenile awaiting trial as an adult when he escaped from custody of the Allen County Juvenile Detention Center on Oct. 25. He was transported that evening from the JDC to the emergency department at Mercy Health-St. Rita's Medical Center for alleged medical reasons. As he was being escorted back to the transport vehicle, he fled across the hospital parking lot. The officer gave chase but fell during the pursuit and Freeman eluded capture.
He was apprehended six weeks later in Waterloo, Iowa.
The Lima teenager was 17 when he participated in armed robberies at the two Lima businesses.
Freeman and Na'zier Howard, who was also 17 years old at the time of the 2020 robberies, were indicted by the July 2020 session of the grand jury in connection with the hold-ups.
During Freeman's trial, an employee of the pizza shop testified one of two assailants who entered the store with guns drawn ordered him to the floor and took an undetermined amount of money from his wallet. Another employee told of being forced to open a safe with a gun held to her head. The gun, prosecutors said, was held by Freeman.
Howard was sentenced in June to 14 years in prison after agreeing to a negotiated plea deal with prosecutors. Freeman was offered a similar deal but declined to accept it.
