Family: Image in home is the Virgin Mary

Family: Image in homeis the Virgin Mary
PITTSBURGH (AP) -- A family allowed hundreds of people to file into their home this morning to view a glowing image of what they claim is the Virgin Mary. Pittsburgh police estimated about 1,500 people stood in line to get into the Pittsburgh home, where the Semplice family says the image appeared on an attic door Tuesday night.
Mark Semplice, son of the home's owner, said the glowing image is a sign from God on the eve of Good Friday.
Some described the image vividly: a warm, yellow and white image of the Virgin Mary, with her hands held in a prayer position, and fish on each side. Others said they simply saw something.
The image reportedly only appears at night and only when the windows to the second floor are open.
Not everyone in line believed the image was legitimate.
Johnathan Clarke of Pittsburgh said he heard a news report about the image and wanted to see it for himself. Clarke called himself an atheist and said he was interested in "debunking" the sighting.
Woman tells policeshe was robbed at mall
NILES -- A woman told police that a man revealed a gun and robbed her of $20 Thursday evening at Eastwood Mall.
The woman said she was walking in the Sears concourse when the man walked up to her and lifted his shirt to reveal a small handgun tucked into his pants. He demanded money, and the woman gave him $20. He ran out of the mall through the license bureau exit.
Three face chargesin robbery of store
NILES -- Three people will return to Niles Municipal Court next week on charges connected to an armed robbery at a Great East Plaza store earlier this week.
Joseph Robinson, 26, High Street, Warren, and Timothy Kinter, 23, Barclay-Messerly Road, Southington, are charged with armed robbery. Tracie Vitez, 21, of Raglan Drive, Howland, is charged with complicity to aggravated robbery.
All three appeared Thursday in municipal court. Robinson was being held in the Trumbull County Jail in lieu of a $50,000. Bond for both Kinter and Vitez, who also are in the county jail, is $20,000. Preliminary hearings for the three are set for April 20.
The two men are accused of going into the Party On store Monday evening, pointing a gun at two store employees and demanding money. They also are accused of ordering the two women into the store's bathroom.
Vitez, a former employee of the store, is accused of being involved in the plan to commit the robbery, police said.
Police search for thief
BROOKFIELD -- Township police are looking for a thief who pulled a "smash and grab" at a convenience store Thursday morning.
Detective Mike Begeot said today a thief drove a vehicle into the front door, breaking it, and took cartons of cigarettes at Casey Jones' Market, 1837 Brookfield Road. Begeot said similar thefts occurred in Orangeville on April 4, in Liberty last Saturday and in Howland on Thursday.
Power outagesin Mercer County
SHARON, Pa. -- About 6,400 Penn Power customers in Mercer County lost their electrical service during Thursday afternoon's windstorm. Penn Power spokesman Randy Coleman said all but 30 customers had their service restored by 7 a.m. today.
The outages were scattered, he said, noting that six power poles had to be replaced after they were blown down by the wind. Fire departments around the county reported a number of grass fires touched off by downed power lines. James Minner, Mercer East End fire chief, said one of those blazes in late afternoon in Coolspring Township spread to a storage shed and destroyed a mower inside.
Area residentsnamed in indictment
CLEVELAND -- Several Youngstown-area residents are named by a federal grand jury in Cleveland in a 24-count indictment on tax-related charges.
Charles L. Wade, 48, who list four aliases, and his daughters Tonya P. Alexander, 25, and Latoya D. Alexander, 27, are charged with conspiracy to impede and obstruct the lawful functions of the IRS.
Rashida L. Williams, 24, and Elvira Williams, 44, are charged with conspiring to make, utter and possess counterfeit securities, commit mail fraud, commit wire fraud and to commit bank fraud.
Melvin Vaughn, 31, and Aileen Blackshear, 38, are charged with one count of conspiracy to make, utter and possess counterfeit securities, and to commit bank fraud.
The U.S. Attorney's Office did not provide specific addresses but said all live in the Youngstown area.