Man snatches purse

Man snatches purse
YOUNGSTOWN -- A mother transferring her 9-month-old infant from a shopping cart to her car had her purse/diaper bag snatched from the cart in the Sparkle Market parking lot on Mahoning Avenue at 8:30 p.m. Tuesday.
The 25-year-old Imperial Avenue woman told police that a man driving a light-blue car pulled into the parking space next to her, got out, grabbed the bag, got back into his car and backed out of the lot. The woman's bag contained $38 and a checkbook, among other items. She described the suspect as white, early 40s, with brown hair and mustache, 5 feet 6 inches and 165 pounds.
Hall is damaged
YOUNGSTOWN -- Someone used a fire extinguisher to spray the walls, floor and gym mats inside the Catholic Youth Organization hall behind St. Christine Church on South Schenley Avenue, police said. The vandalism was discovered Tuesday afternoon. Police said two interior doors were damaged and tennis-shoe prints -- size 6 boys Spiderman -- were seen in residue left by the fire extinguisher.
Vandalism at Borts Pool
YOUNGSTOWN -- A city worker checking Borts Pool on North Belle Vista Avenue on Tuesday afternoon discovered a broken window at the pump house and damage inside the pump house operator's office.
A small fire was set on a desk and another fire had been set on the floor in the boys' locker room. Windows were broken at the ticket booth and the door lock was damaged. The lifeguard's chair was removed from its mounted post and tossed into the pool area, police said. The small fires caused no damage, police said.
Rubbish charge
YOUNGSTOWN -- Ronald D. Hellman's yard at 847 Cameron Ave. on Tuesday evening included 17 tires, two 55-gallon drums containing flammable liquids and 5-gallon buckets, one filled with a tarlike substance, police said.
The officers said the yard was strewn with broken lawn mowers and engines. The grass in the front yard was a foot high and as high as 2 feet in the back.
Hellman, 36, was issued a citation charging him with deposit of rubbish and told to be in municipal court today.
Burglar causes damage
YOUNGSTOWN -- A break-in at 62 News and More, 3415 Canfield Road, was discovered Tuesday morning when police responded to a burglar alarm. The front window had been shattered and steel bars bent to gain entry. The rear office door had been forced open. The cash register was damaged, and roughly 55 packs of cigarettes were taken.
Further loss is to be reported after an inventory.
Arrested after chase
YOUNGSTOWN -- Antwan Milender, 14, of East Avondale Avenue was arrested around 12:30 a.m. today after a foot chase by police on the South Side.
Police said they first spotted Milender driving a stolen 1989 Buick Century on East Evergreen Avenue near Market Street without its headlights on and pulled it over. Police said Milender and his male passenger jumped out and ran. Both were caught after a brief foot chase.
Milender was taken to the juvenile justice center to face charges of receiving stolen property and failure to comply with a police order. The passenger was taken home.
Break-in at bar
YOUNGSTOWN -- Alarm wires were cut, the front door pried open and the front window broken at the Handle Bar, 1375 Logan Ave. The break-in was discovered Tuesday. Once inside, thieves removed motion detectors and pried open three pool tables, the jukebox and bowling machine to get coins. The building was ransacked and liquor bottles were stolen from a basement cabinet and from the bar. Also taken were snacks.