19-year-old suspect arraigned on drug and other charges

BOARDMAN -- A Youngstown man was arraigned Thursday in Mahoning County Court here on multiple misdemeanor and felony charges after police said he fled a traffic stop Tuesday night.
James P. Sitnic, 19, was arrested on a felony charge of possession of drugs and misdemeanor charges of obstructing official business, resisting arrest and drug paraphernalia.
There also were two felony burglary warrants for Sitnic's arrest from Youngstown police.
Police stopped Sitnic's vehicle at 8:55 p.m. Tuesday on Midlothian Boulevard because it did not have a functioning license plate light, reports show.
Sitnic's vehicle then turned onto Hillman Avenue and then to Judson, where it turned into a driveway. Sitnic exited the vehicle while it was still in motion and ran west through back yards, according to police.
Tracking him
A Boardman police officer was joined by Youngstown police in tracking the suspect's footprints through the snow and setting up a perimeter. They found Sitnic covering himself with a sheet behind steps attached to a garage, where he was arrested.
During a search, officers found a glass pipe containing suspected crack cocaine and two suspected rocks of crack cocaine.
Sitnic said he ran because he knew about the warrants and had drugs in his possession, reports show. His preliminary hearing will be Tuesday morning in Mahoning County Court, Boardman.