Authorities probe cause of house fire

Authorities probecause of house fire
YOUNGSTOWN -- Authorities will investigate the scene of an East Side house fire that caused $8,000 damage to a two-story wood house at 843 N. Garland Ave. and destroyed its contents, valued at $5,000.
Capt. Richard Russo said the occupant, Dion Williams, saw smoke and fire coming from a second floor wall, tried unsuccessfully to extinguish it, called 911 at 7:09 p.m. and got out on his own. Firefighters rescued a puppy from the basement.
The Friday evening blaze started in a second-floor bedroom wall of the house, which is valued at $15,000 and owned by Atty. Percy Squire, Russo said.
Firefighters referred Williams to the American Red Cross for temporary lodging. There were no injuries.
Contract renewed
YOUNGSTOWN -- The city's board of control voted Friday to renew a contract for 2003 with Veronica Foster, coordinator of the Weed and Seed program, a South Side neighborhood crime-fighting and improvement program.
She will be paid $31,441 from the federal Weed and Seed grant.
Accused of groping
BOARDMAN -- A 21-year-old township man has been charged with misdemeanor sexual imposition after a female co-worker said he groped and assaulted her.
Matthew Tubbs of Stadium Drive pleaded innocent to the charge in Mahoning County area court here Thursday night. He said he accidentally brushed up against the woman while trying to pass her in a narrow doorway, police said.
Theft charges
BOARDMAN -- An 18-year-old Youngstown man has pleaded innocent in Mahoning County area court here to misdemeanor charges of theft, assault and criminal damaging/endangering.
Police reports say Ellery Jose Urena of Roxbury Avenue was trying to steal the stereo out of a Chevrolet Blazer in the Wal-Mart parking lot two weeks ago when the owner of the car and his friend caught Urena.
A scuffle started, reports say. By the time police arrived, Urena was pinned to the ground by a Wal-Mart employee. He is due back in court Feb. 20.
Sex crimes
LISBON -- A Rogers man was sentenced to five years in prison after pleading guilty to sex crimes involving two teenage girls.
Donald Little, 39, of Echo Dell Road pleaded in Columbiana County Common Pleas Court to two counts of sexual battery and one count of unlawful sexual conduct with a minor.
The total maximum sentence for the crimes is 15 years. As part of a plea agreement, the county prosecutor's office recommended a total sentence of five years, which was agreed to by Judge C. Ashley Pike earlier this week.
Little committed the crimes last spring against two teens, ages 14 and 15. Little knew at least one of the girls. It's unclear if he knew the other. A prosecutor's office spokesman was unavailable to answer that question.
Woman reportscredit-card theft
STRUTHERS -- A city woman told police she believes her credit card account number was stolen by an employee at a Boardman automotive repair shop where she had her vehicle's oil changed.
The woman told police she lost sight of her card when she paid for the oil change Dec. 7 and was notified Thursday by a local floral shop that a flower arrangement charged to her account had just been delivered.
The woman told police she did not authorize the charge and has no idea who would have used her account. Another local florist also charged an arrangement to the account that the woman told police was unauthorized. The unauthorized charges began Dec. 16.
Cable vandalism
STRUTHERS -- Two power supply poles belonging to Adelphia Communications were vandalized late Wednesday or early Thursday, knocking out cable service to neighborhood residents and causing at least $1,200 in damage.
According to police reports, someone drove a large vehicle into a yard in the 100 block of Hamilton, striking two power supply poles and knocking them sideways.
An Adelphia employee told police several people who reside in the area began telephoning the cable company around 10 a.m. Wednesday to report that their service was out. Police reports state it will cost $600 to reset each of the poles.