Teen sentenced for attack on Cleveland Heights resident

Judge John O’Donnell sentenced 17-year-old Edwonte Bryant to seven years in prison for an attack on a Cleveland Heights resident last summer.

The victim was assaulted as he walked home from dinner at a Lee Road restaurant on June 18, 2011. He was present at the Feb. 14 sentencing, as were several other community residents.

In a statement he read at the sentencing, Mayor Ed Kelley urged the judge to give Bryant the maximum sentence permissible by law. “This incident has disturbed the fabric of a neighborhood and our city,” he said. “This attack on one of our residents has affected not only [the victim] and his family and friends, but also the entire neighborhood and the commercial district, Cedar Lee. Safety in any community is a top priority. Cleveland Heights has worked hard to keep our streets and neighborhoods safe. Our residents should be able to walk home from a restaurant in the evening and not feel afraid. On the night of the attack [the victim] was stalked by the defendant and made to feel vulnerable and afraid.”

Bryant was convicted of one count of felonious assault in the attack. He was also convicted on three counts of burglary, one count of attempted theft and one count of receiving stolen property in the robbery of two Maple Heights homes on March 31, 2011.

Last year, Cleveland Heights City Council instituted a curfew that prohibits youths (under 18) from being in the Cedar Lee, Coventry Village and Severance commercial districts after 6 p.m., unless accompanied by an adult. The curfew was a direct result of the attack, in combination with other incidents, including the disturbance last June 26 after the Coventry Street Fair.