Cops catch suspects

Cops catch suspects
AUSTINTOWN -- Police arrested a man and a woman Wednesday after a purse snatching in the parking lot of Wal-Mart.
Rhonda Sandy, 33, who has a last known address of Cook Road, Boardman, is charged with possession of drug paraphernalia, felony complicity to theft and felony receiving stolen property.
Robert Jeter, 41, of South Raccoon Road is charged with possession of drug paraphernalia and felony theft.
A Mineral Ridge woman told police that a man took her purse from her shopping cart around 12:30 p.m. in the parking lot, ran to a car in the nearby Sears parking lot, and drove away.
Witnesses to the purse snatching later called police to say they were following the car on Kirk Road. Police said that as they pulled the car over on Kirk Road, Jeter threw the woman's purse out of the car window. Sandy was driving.
Police said they searched the car and found a second purse reported stolen from Youngstown, as well as two suspected crack pipes.
Ungaro moves to Liberty
LIBERTY -- Patrick J. Ungaro will be staying on as township administrator, at least for now. The former Youngstown mayor has bought a house on Oriole Drive in the township, just north of Henry Stambaugh Municipal Golf Course.
As part of his taking over the post in June 2002, Ungaro agreed to move into the township. Ungaro said Wednesday his 5,000-square-foot Fifth Avenue home in Youngstown is too large for him and his wife.
The two homes are only blocks apart.
Ungaro said it's a "transition move" and he will move again if other career opportunities develop.
Woman, 97, enters plea
STRUTHERS -- A 97-year-old woman pleaded innocent Wednesday in municipal court to charges that she unlawfully stored numerous tires outside her Wilson Street home. Judge James R. Lanzo, who ordered Verona C. Meehan taken into custody last Friday, set a trial date of June 24.
Meehan was arrested on a warrant from 1999 when she appeared in municipal court last week to testify on behalf of her son, Robert Meehan, 50.
Safety-Service Director John Sveda said Robert Meehan was charged with storing several unlicensed and inoperable vehicles titled to Mrs. Meehan on the property or on the street in front of their house.
Because she does not have driving privileges, Sveda said authorities believe her son is actually in control of the vehicles.
Judge Lanzo dismissed the charges against Robert Meehan when he appeared for his trial Wednesday morning.
Suspect in shooting
YOUNGSTOWN -- Robert M. Jeter, 22, of East Lucius Avenue is suspected of being one of the men police say fired into a house on Labelle Avenue and a house on West Boston Avenue after his house was shot up.
Jeter was arrested Wednesday afternoon when police stopped a stolen 1990 Chevrolet Caprice that had been identified by a witness as the car used in the shooting on Labelle.
He faces charges of shooting into a habitation, receiving stolen property and mishandling a firearm in a motor vehicle. The investigation continues.
Break-in reported
YOUNGSTOWN -- Two bicycles and three tires were reported missing after a break-in at Don's Automotive, 3400 Mahoning Ave., at 3:30 a.m. today.
One bike was found under a parked car and the second leaning against a parked car on Winchester Avenue, on the side of the business. A front window was broken to gain entry to the business, police said.
The thief may be responsible for similar break-ins in Austintown, reports say.
2 face drug charges
YOUNGSTOWN -- Two men face drug charges after routine traffic stops Wednesday night on the South Side.
Marquice Denson, 22, of East Indianola Avenue was arrested on charges of driving under suspension, loud music and aggravated trafficking in marijuana. Police stopped Denson after hearing the loud music on East Lucius Avenue. The officers said they found 25 packaged-for-sale bags of marijuana in his car.
Kevin Thompson, 19, of Sherwood Avenue was stopped after the driver of the car he was in failed to signal a turn onto Market Street. He faces charges of trafficking in marijuana and failure to appear in municipal court on a traffic charge. Police said he had five packaged-for-sale bags of marijuana.