Thieves steal antique fixtures

The investor thinks houses in the historic district will be worth a fortune.
By PATRICIA MEADE
VINDICATOR CRIME REPORTER
YOUNGSTOWN -- Steven Hinz pointed to boards covering the space where, for 83 years, sunlight streamed through a stained-glass window into a formal dining room.
"It was gorgeous," Hinz said of the stolen hand-crafted window. "They also walked away with a 6-foot mantel and its side columns."
As Hinz traveled from room to room, he tallied the loss at 1427 Ohio Avenue from three break-ins this past summer. He tried to keep his anger in check as he surveyed the stripped house.
The two-story tan-brick structure, built in 1920, has four bedrooms, a butler's pantry off of the kitchen, hardwood floors and more. The spacious attic is actually a third floor.
What was stolen
Thieves targeting valuable antiques took oak doors, brass doorknobs, stained- and leaded-glass windows, chandeliers, sconces and much more from the vacant North Side house. The fireplace mantel, complete with inlaid mirror, is probably worth $2,200, he said.
He lifted a piece of molding to show that the thieves are deliberate in their work, not wanting to damage what they're stealing. He pulled a sliding oak door used to close off the living room from the entry hall to show how the lock-set had been neatly removed.
"These people know what they're doing," he said.
Hinz, who manages Le Modeln Model and Talent Agency in Boardman, said he buys houses with value and historic charm, believing that when Youngstown "comes back," homes on the North Side will be worth a fortune.
He wants to be able to sell homes that have been restored to their former glory, which means complete with their original fireplace mantels, stained-glass windows and brass doorknobs.
Starting out
Hinz said his "crusade" to preserve historic homes began four years ago when he moved here from Grand Rapids, Mich., and bought a house on North Heights. He said the house was broken into before he and his partner, Anthony Dommenick, moved in.
"We realized the area had a problem," Hinz said. "We decided to buy and restore properties. We've had excellent luck renting them; we have wonderful tenants."
Hinz said he persuaded his father to buy the Ohio Avenue house, even though it's really too big for a one-family rental. "I said, 'I don't care if you don't leave me anything in your will -- I want this house.'"
Hinz said he and Dommenick formed Hinz-Dom, a company that owns real estate and manages properties for investors. Hinz said they have 16 houses, three of which are vacant, and do nearly all the restoration work themselves.
They check the vacant houses every night. In the past five months, they've had four unoccupied houses stripped of original doors, lighting fixtures, mantels and so forth.
Frustrated with efforts
Hinz is not pleased with police follow-up efforts to track down whomever is fencing the stolen antiques. He believes the items are being shipped to antique shops in the South.
Last Saturday, police arrested three men who had fireplace mantels on the roof of their van that were stolen from 1406 Fifth Ave.
Hinz said police didn't check with an eyewitness on North Heights Avenue who can identify suspects that were seen leaving the site of a similar break-in there.
Lt. Robin Lees, police department spokesman, said Thursday that he was unable to contact the investigator assigned to the break-ins but would do so to determine the status.
meade@vindy.com