CLEVELAND, Ohio – An Akron man will spend more than 16 years in a mental health facility after he was found not guilty by reason of insanity in the attack on a woman at a Summit Metro Park last year.
Summit County Common Pleas Judge Kelly McLaughlin on Friday accepted findings that Issac Armour, 34, suffers from severe mental illness and is unable to aid in his defense.
He had been charged with gross sexual imposition, kidnapping, attempted rape and abduction in the attack of the woman Aug. 12, 2024. The attack happened about 9:15 p.m. at Cascade Valley Metro Park off Cuyahoga Street in Akron.
Police said a woman, who was 33 at the time, was leaving a restroom when Armour grabbed her from behind and attacked her.
The woman screamed, drawing the attention of three nearby women who stepped in to help.
One of the women hit Armour in the head with a rock, and together they saved the victim, police said. Officers arrested Armour at the scene and seized his car and other items as evidence.
“After reviewing the results of clinical evaluations, the state accepted the findings of multiple medical professionals and experts that (Armour’s) severe mental disease prevented him from appreciating the wrongfulness of his actions at the time of the offense,” Summit County Prosecutor Elliot Kolkovich said in a statement.
Armour will be held at a mental health facility for up to 16.5 years. His attorney, Edward Smith, could not be reached for comment.
“My thoughts are with the survivor of this incident as she continues to heal,” Kolkovich said in a statement. “I also want to thank the bystanders who stepped in to protect the survivor and stop the attack.”