AUSTINTOWN Police probe rash of vehicle thefts, break-ins

AUSTINTOWN -- Police said car thieves apparently dropped off a stolen car from Struthers in the Wal-Mart parking lot on Mahoning Avenue on Sunday afternoon and then stole another car from the lot.
A Campbell man told police he watched a teen run from a car that turned out to be stolen from Struthers. The man said the boy got into a tan car at about 1:15 p.m. and drove away from the parking lot. Two men were in the car with the teen, the Campbell man said.
A similar tan car was reported stolen from the Wal-Mart parking lot at about the same time. It was later found at the site of an attempted break-in at a business at Woodland Avenue and Hillman Street in Youngstown.
Reports state that three men ran from the site of the attempted break-in before police arrived.
Other theft reports: Police also received a report that a car was stolen Sunday from Hillbrook Apartments on South Raccoon Road. In addition, a Kleber Avenue woman told police Sunday that someone tried to steal her car from the parking lot of Kmart on Mahoning Avenue. A car also was reported stolen Saturday from Classic Car Network on state Route 46.
Police are investigating the theft of a trailer in late February from a parking lot on state Route 46; a stereo Sunday from a car parked on Westminster Avenue; and CDs, a checkbook and vehicle registration papers Saturday from a car in a parking lot on Javit Court.
During the weekend, police also received reports that cars were damaged on Victoria and South Raccoon roads as well as Mahoning Avenue.