Homeless man pleads guilty in DUI case
AUSTINTOWN -- A 43-year-old homeless man pleaded guilty Thursday in Mahoning County Court here to driving under the influence after state police found him driving the car of a dead Youngstown woman.
Franklin Barron Jr. was arrested near the intersection of Mahoning Avenue and Raccoon Road around 4 a.m. Tuesday while driving the car of Louise B. Davis, 76.
He also carried her credit card. He told troopers that he and Davis were friends and she had given him the car and credit card.
Davis was found dead in her Shehy Street home on Youngstown's East Side around 4 p.m. Monday. Barron has not been accused of her death.
On the DUI offense, Barron's first, Judge David D'Apolito ordered him to pay $350 plus court costs and to serve 30 days in jail, but suspended 25 of those days.
D'Apolito also suspended Barron's license for 180 days and ordered 12 months' probation.
Barron was also found guilty of possessing drug paraphernalia, driving without a license, speeding and failing to wear a seat belt.
On the drug charge, D'Apolito sentenced him to 30 days in jail, suspended; 12 months' probation; and ordered him to pay $100 plus court costs. He was fined $45 plus court costs for the driving offenses.