Sunday, November 14, 2004
Police hit three suspected drug locations in less than three hours.
YOUNGSTOWN -- A series of afternoon drug raids netted the Youngstown Vice Squad four arrests and various amounts of suspected crack cocaine and other drugs and drug paraphernalia.
The squad, equipped with search warrants, conducted three raids starting at 2:44 p.m. Friday at 38 W. Ravenwood Ave., where they had to force their way in.
The first officers inside spotted a man later identified as Randall L. Miller, 29, of Raccoon Road, running away from a dining room table.
They caught him in a bedroom and found 10 small plastic bags of suspected marijuana, an electronic scale and $10 cash on the dining room table.
They also confiscated $152 found on Miller.
He was held on drug trafficking charges and remained in Mahoning County Jail on Saturday.
Sherwood Avenue
At 3:25 p.m. Friday, the squad raided a home at 543 Sherwood Ave., arresting Ricardo Mendez, 20, of that address, and Dajuan Dukes, 25, of Redondo Road, on drug-trafficking charges.
Police said they were able to walk right in through an unlocked door after announcing their presence.
Police said they found a bottle of 10 rocks of suspected crack cocaine and an OxyContin pill on the dining room table next to Mendez. They also found 191/2 Altram pills and $443 in his pockets. Altram is a prescription painkiller.
Dukes was found sitting on a couch, and police said they discovered five small bags of suspected crack and 61/2 Altram pills under the cushion where he sat.
He was also held on drug-trafficking charges, and both he and Mendez remained in Mahoning County Jail on Saturday.
Benita Avenue
The last raid was at 5:15 p.m. Friday at 11 Benita Ave., where officers caught John Galloway, 20, of Norwood Avenue, trying to run from the house as squad members entered through an unlocked door.
He was charged with drug trafficking after police said they found a plastic bag of suspected crack, an electronic scale and 10 small bags of suspected marijuana on a table in the living room.
Galloway was arrested but was not in Mahoning County Jail on Saturday afternoon.