The Morning Journal (Lorain, OH)
Elyria man charged with voluntary manslaughter after fatal fight
Other charges also resulted from Carlisle Township altercation Jan. 8
A 37-year-old Elyria man is facing felony charges following a fight Jan. 8 that left another man dead in Carlisle Township.
Craig E. Lengyel was charged with voluntary manslaughter, a first-degree felony, of Dennis Varner, 53; felonious assault, a second-degree felony, and domestic violence, according to Lorain County Jail records.
At 11:30 p.m., Lengyel called Lorain County dispatch saying he and Varner fought each other and both were bloody, according to an incident report from the Lorain County Sheriff’s Office.
Lengyel didn’t know where he was, so the cell phone was tracked and deputies responded to the 41000 block of Mills Circle for the fight, according to the report.
Sheriff’s deputies found Lengyel, with his face completely covered in blood, standing in the area.
They noticed a large amount of blood in the roadway.
Varner, an Elyria resident, was lying face down in the grassy area on the north side of the roadway covered in blood.
Varner’s hands and head were covered in blood.
A deputy called for an ambulance and started CPR on Varner.
The Carlisle Fire Department and LifeCare arrived and both tried life-saving efforts, but Varner was pronounced dead at the scene, the report said.
Lengyel was taken to UH-Elyria to treat his injuries. After released from the hospital, Lengyel was taken to Lorain County Jail.
The initial investigation reveals that the two men left the Pub Bar on West Ridge Road and ended up at the Ravine’s Edge (Mills Circle) allotment, the report said.
The two barely were off of state Route 301 when the fight began.
Both men had a large amount of blood on their fists.
Due to tire marks from a nearby parked SUV, the blood trail and the position of the body, a deputy asked Lengyel if he had run over Varner, but he did not respond, the report said.
Lengyel is in the Lorain County Jail on a $50,000 bond and awaiting an appearance in Elyria Municipal Court.