Dog alerts family to fire

Dog alerts family to fire
CAMPBELL -- A family dog woke its sleeping owner around 4:50 a.m. today at 771 Porter Ave. when the home's front porch was on fire. Tammy Mastouris discovered the blaze after her dog jumped into bed with her.
Mastouris helped her 6-year-old son out the bathroom window, handed her 5-year-old daughter to him, then escaped out the window herself. Firefighters arrived and rescued the dog from the home.
The cause of the fire is undetermined and still under investigation. No injuries were reported. Fire officials said the fire was mainly contained to the porch, however loss to the structure was estimated at $7,000, and loss to furnishings from smoke and heat, another $7,000.
Girl suffers dog bites
POLAND -- A high school student was bitten by an unrestrained dog as she jogged through Poland Woods.
According to police reports, the girl encountered four unleashed Rottweilers accompanied by their owner around 4:30 p.m. Sept. 17. The owner instructed the girl to walk past the dogs but as she did, at least one of the dogs attacked her. The girl was bitten in two locations on her leg. In the commotion she wasn't sure if she was bitten by one or two of the dogs.
The dogs' owner then left the scene with her animals.
Another woman in the area came to the girl's assistance, but no information was available on the extent of her injuries. Police are investigating.
Men face drug charges
AUSTINTOWN -- A Youngstown man arrested Monday evening told police he didn't realize he had a plastic baggie containing suspected cocaine in his pants pocket.
The man, 20, of East Auburndale Avenue, was stopped by police at 5:42 p.m. after failing to stop his car at a stop sign at the intersection of Parkgate Avenue and Wickcliffe Circle. Police noticed two cans of malt liquor on the seat of the car, and the man said he had a Vicodin tablet above his visor.
A drug-sniffing dog also indicated there were narcotics in the car. Police found four jeweler's bags containing suspected crack cocaine near the driver's seat.
They then arrested and searched the man, finding a bag of suspected powder cocaine in his pants pockets. Reports say the man told police, "Oops, I forgot about that."
Police also searched the car's passenger, an 18-year-old East Florida Avenue man. They found a Vicodin tablet in his pants pocket. He was arrested and charged with possession of a dangerous drug and possession of alcohol.
The East Auburndale man was charged with drug abuse, trafficking in drugs, possession of a dangerous drug, and possession of alcohol.
Meat, vegetables stolen
AUSTINTOWN -- A Westgate Boulevard woman told police a large quantity of frozen meat and vegetables were stolen from her home during the last two days. The items were kept in a freezer in the car port of the woman's home. The woman said she didn't have any suspects in the theft.
Teen reports abuse
AUSTINTOWN -- A 17-year-old Fitch High School student told police that a football team assistant tried to punch him twice after Monday's practice.
The teen said that during practice, the assistant told him that he should transfer to another school because he fumbles too much. Once practice was over, the teen went into the locker room, said "Forget you, I'm done," to the assistant, and placed his equipment on the floor.
The assistant then threw several towels at the teen and threw a chair into the air before approaching the teen and trying to punch him twice, the teen said. The teen blocked both punches before other football players stepped in and stopped the conflict.
The teen's mother later told police that she tried to call the assistant at home Monday night but could not reach him.
Police are investigating .