Leon R. "Luggo" Grande has been discharged from the hospital at Sharon Regional Health System into the custody of Mercer County Jail.

Grande was discharged Friday after being hospitalized for three days for an angioplasty, a surgical procedure which uses a small balloon to remove a blockage from a blood vessel.

Grande, 60, of 87 Maple Drive, Hermitage, is expected to stand trial in March on charges of first- and third-degree murder in the May 1 drowning and beating death of Deborra DeSantis, 47, in her 900 Laurel Drive home in Sharpsville.

Grande’s private insurance is expected to pick up the cost of the surgery and hospital stay, said Warden Jeffrey P. Gill. The only cost to the county was for guards during the hospital stay, he said.

"As long as he is our prisoner, security is still our responsibility," Gill said.

The county jail had to pay about $700 in overtime for jail guards at the hospital, Gill said. Sheriff deputies helped in the 24-hour guard, costing about $500 in regular time, said deputy Ronald Clark. No overtime was used for the sheriff’s deputies, Clark said.

Grande will be transferred soon to another county jail because of a possible conflict within the jail, Gill said. Grande’s wife, Joanne Grande, is on the jail staff.