A Wadsworth Township man who cracked the skull of one corrections officer and assaulted another was sentenced to three years in prison in Medina Common Pleas Court on Thursday.
Seth D.J. Rupp
Seth Rupp, 23, of 10100 Ruth Drive, Wadsworth, pleaded no contest to one count of felonious assault of the second degree and one fifth-degree felony count of assault. He received three years in prison with credit for 132 days served for the first charge and one year for the second charge. The charges will be served simultaneously.
Two corrections officers were trying to move Rupp from his cell at Medina County Jail for violating jail rules March 7, 2015, Medina County Sheriff’s Capt. Ken Baca told the Gazette last November. A fight broke out after Rupp refused to cooperate and officers used pepper spray to disable him, Baca said.
Medina County prosecuting attorney Dean Holman said that during the scuffle Rupp assaulted a male officer, Joseph Henthorn, and punched a female officer, Dennise Pasquerella, in the face fracturing her skull.
“She was unable to work for a significant period of time,” Holman said. “She was unable to watch TV.”
Assistant prosecuting attorney Michael McNamara said the officer still suffers from headaches caused by the injury.
“The thanks they (correction officers) get is a fractured skull,” McNamara said.
Rupp was in jail on charges of safecracking and attempted burglary, according to court records. He was sentenced to prison for the charges and was released Nov. 1, three days before he was indicted on the assault charges. He also pleaded guilty in 2014 to possession of heroin and assault of a peace officer.
“Prison is the only appropriate sanction for the conduct of Mr. Rupp, even without taking into consideration criminal history,” McNamara argued in court.
Defense attorney John Celebrezze, who asked Judge Joyce V. Kimbler to grant Rupp less than a three-year sentence, said Rupp is trying to turn his life around.
Rupp underwent brain surgery for a tumor when he was 17 years old, Celebrezze said.
“When I learned of this surgery and his background, I asked the court to get a psychiatric evaluation,” Celebrezze said.
Celebrezze said his evaluation showed Rupp was competent and he argued that this information has caused Rupp to change his attitude, because he now knows nothing is wrong with him. Celebrezze added Rupp’s “hot temper” gets him into trouble.
“If I can take it back I would, but I can’t,” Rupp said. “The past three years of my life have been a web of mistakes and consequences.”
Kimbler said statements Rupp made during pretrial investigations — where Rupp indicated the assault was “spur of the moment” and that “it just happened” — showed a lack of concern for the effects of his actions.
“The problem is actions have consequences,” she said.
