AKRON, Ohio — A man from Honduras who was kidnapped in Youngstown and shot hours later in Copley testified in the triple murder trial of Elias Gudino on Tuesday at the Summit County Courthouse.
Oscar Meija-Gomez, 39, shed tears and testified he was among four men who were kidnapped at gunpoint from a house in Youngstown by two suspects in March of 2023.
Meija-Gomez said one of the suspects was a taller, unidentified man who wore a mask. During his testimony, the witness pointed to Gudino, 58, as the other man and said he wasn't wearing a mask.
Meija-Gomez does not speak English. Spanish translators sat next to him during his testimony, which lasted several hours.
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"He told us he was going to kill us," Meija-Gomez said. "That we had already seen his face and that he worked for the cartel."
Meija-Gomez said the victims were tied up and driven to a house in Copley.
He told the jury he was placed in a truck later that night, along with his friend, 35-year-old Domingo Castillo-Reyes.
According to police, the two were shot along Wright Road in Copley.
Meija-Gomez said he pleaded with the gunman, telling him that he had children before a shot was fired.
He also said he was tied up with blue rope and that Gudino was two feet away from him when he allegedly shot him. However, the bullet went through his knit hat and only grazed his head.
"I was unconscious and I came to like 10 minute later," he said.
Assistant Summit County Prosecutor Keven Mayer then asked, "Were you still tied and gagged?" Meija-Gomez responded, "Yes."
Meija-Gomez realized that Castillo-Reyes had been shot and killed. Meija-Gomez managed to free himself by running through a swampy area and into some woods, where he slept for the night.
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The next morning, Akron police responded after two other dead bodies were found off Cordova Avenue. Both men were bound and gagged.
They were identified as 25-year-old Inmer Reyes and 31-year-old Victor Verela-Rodriguez, the other two men who were kidnapped in Youngstown.
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All of the men were from Honduras, but they were not U.S. citizens.
Meija-Gomez was found wandering in Copley the morning after the killings, and he was initially taken to a homeless shelter by police.
After the bodies were discovered, police picked up the survivor again to ask him questions with a translator.
In a stunning coincidence, Copley police stopped at a Marathon gas station, and the victim happened to spot Gudino at that location and identified him as the suspect.
Meyer asked if it was the same person who shot him. Meija-Gomez responded, "Yes."
The defense contends Gudino was under duress that someone from a cartel forced him into the kidnappings and that Gudino did not shoot the victims.
During cross-examination, defense attorney John Greven asked Meija-Gomez, "Is it fair to say sicarios are hitmen for the Mexican mafia or the Mexican cartels?"
Meija-Gomez responded, "Well, I don't know, but you see it on the news.
The trial is scheduled to resume on Thursday. Defense attorney plans to call Gudino to testify in his own defense.
