Squad uses battering ram

Squad uses battering ram
YOUNGSTOWN -- A battering ram was used to enter 20 Zents Ave. when the occupants refused to answer the door to members of the vice squad Tuesday afternoon.
Sandy Williams, 18, of Fairmont Avenue was arrested on charges of possession of cocaine, possession of marijuana and illegal possession of a weapon, a shotgun, based on a prior drug conviction, police said.
Also arrested was a 17-year-old Kenmore Avenue girl wanted on three probation violations from juvenile court.
Also Tuesday, at 333 W. Princeton Ave., the vice squad arrested Clyde Bills II, 20, of West Glenaven Avenue on charges of carrying a concealed weapon, trafficking in cocaine, possession of drug paraphernalia (bags) and receiving stolen property. Police said the gun was stolen from Beaver Township in 1982.
Facing theft charge
YOUNGSTOWN -- Michael Phillips, 46, of Lansdowne Boulevard had $350 worth of Prilosec heartburn pills on him when stopped by store security at Rite Aid on East Midlothian Boulevard on Tuesday evening, police said.
Phillips was arrested on a theft charge.
Water, road concerns
BOARDMAN -- Township officials met with representatives from the Ohio Department of Transportation on Tuesday to discuss water and road concerns.
ODOT representatives said a study of water flow problems on Market Street from Western Reserve Road to the Youngstown city line would be conducted before the road is resurfaced in 2007.
They also said other township roads will be studied.
Township officials are conducting studies of various areas and hope to coordinate with ODOT to correct any problems.
Aluminum-siding theft
YOUNGSTOWN -- Two men were arrested Tuesday after aluminum siding was stripped from a house at 2545 Hunter St.
An officer saw two men split up and run, but only got a look at one wearing a brown jacket. Kevin L. Harvey, 33, of Hunter Street, wearing the jacket, was found on Taft Street and arrested on charges of theft, possessing criminal tools, criminal trespass and criminal damaging.
Larry Newell, 41, of Lansdowne Boulevard was seen cutting through rear yards on East Indianola Avenue and arrested on an outstanding Mahoning County warrant unrelated to the aluminum siding. The case was turned over to a detective, who will determine if Newell should face charges related to the stripped siding.
2 suspicious fires
YOUNGSTOWN -- Two fires -- at Florand Co., a vacant two-story business at 530 Powersdale Ave.; and at 47 N. Worthington Ave. -- are listed as suspicious.
Firefighters responded to the Powersdale fire at 10 p.m. Tuesday, which started in the roof, reports show. Damage was estimated at $10,000, a total loss.
At 12:20 a.m. today, fire started in the garage of the one-story frame house on North Worthington. Damage was estimated at $10,000, a total loss, reports show.
Police patrols increase
NILES -- The city police department will increase the number of patrols to target drunken and impaired drivers this weekend and randomly throughout November.