HOWLAND Man is found shot dead in home

The house is in an upscale neighborhood.
By PEGGY SINKOVICH
VINDICATOR TRUMBULL STAFF
HOWLAND -- Police are searching for a vehicle stolen from a home where a 56-year-old man was found shot to death early today.
A spokesman from Trumbull County 911 said the man, identified by Howland Police Chief Steve Lamantia as Robert Fingerhut, was found by his wife, Donna Roberts, around 12:25 a.m. in the kitchen of their home at 254 Fonderlac Drive.
Police said Fingerhut's body was near the door that led to the garage. There were no signs of a forced entry, police said. A car owned by the couple is missing, police said, but nothing else appeared to be disturbed.
Lamantia declined to give a description of the missing car.
911 call: "According to our records, Donna Roberts called to say that she got home and found her husband," said Tim Gladis, director of the 911 center. "My dispatchers say that the woman was hysterical, and it was very difficult to get information from her."
The 911 officials said they were not sure what had happened to Fingerhut so they dispatched police and ambulances. When police arrived at the scene they found he had been shot.
"He was shot several times," Lamantia said. He said he will not know how many times until an autopsy is complete. A spokeswoman with the Trumbull County Coroner's office said an autopsy is expected to performed later today.
Police said they believe Fingerhut was shot with a handgun.
Howland Township police and the Trumbull County Sheriff's Department are investigating.
The scene: "At this time we have no suspects," Lamantia said. "This is a very nice area here, and we have not had trouble here before."
Fonderlac is behind the Butler Institute of American Art's Howland branch in an upscale neighborhood.
There was no one at Fingerhut's home this morning. There were, however, several lights on inside the ranch-style home.
Neighbors say Fingerhut and Roberts lived in the house for about 21/2 years and did not have any children.
Fingerhut managed the Greyhound bus stations in Warren and Youngstown, police said.
Neighbors also reported hearing gunshots in the area around 8:30 a.m. Tuesday. Lamantia said this morning, however, that he believes the gunshots may have been someone shooting birds near the Avalon golf course. "We are investigating that at this time," the chief said.
According to Vindicator articles, Fingerhut and Roberts had operated a restaurant called "Just the Ticket" inside the WRTA terminal on Federal Plaza. That restaurant is now closed.
sinkovich@vindy.com