Student arraigned, pleads not guilty to felonious assault

Kristen Russo

Robert S. Lewis pleaded not guilty to charges of felonious assault today in the Portage County Court of Common Pleas.

A grand jury indicted Lewis, 21, of Dover, yesterday on the second-degree felony charge.

Prosecutor Victor Vigluicci’s said Lewis had a knife in his possession during an assault on a woman Sept. 21 at the Delta Upsilon house at 202 S. Lincoln St.

Vigluicci said the offense carries a sentence of two to eight years in prison if Lewis is convicted.

Lewis was arrested Monday night at his home in Dover.

A pretrial hearing has been set for Nov. 16 with a possible jury trial set for Dec. 4.

This is the second time in less than a year prosecutors have gone after a felonious assault charge at the DU house.

Nicholas Zajac, a DU member at the time, was charged with felonious assault for pushing Dana Lim, 25, of Parma, into a passing tow truck outside of the fraternity house on Oct. 29, 2006. On March 23, 2007, he pleaded guilty to a lowered charge of aggravated assault and was sentenced to six months in prison on June 11.

Contact public affairs reporter Kristen Russo at [email protected].