CRIME Homicide victim helped elderly

The suspects are two teenagers.
YOUNGSTOWN -- Homicide victim Ralph Miller enjoyed being a caregiver to an elderly East Side couple, the couple's son says.
Miller, 53, of East Wood Street, was shot in the driveway of 3318 Nelson St. around 9 p.m. Thursday, police said. His companion, Charles Glenn, 44, of Glenwood Avenue was shot in the face as he sat in the truck.
Glenn was in critical condition Friday evening in St. Elizabeth Health Center.
Miller is the city's 26th homicide victim of the year, four more than for all of 2004. There were 15 homicides at this time last year.
Friends of the family
Reports describe Miller and Glenn as friends of the Bittle family -- Robert, 92, Ruth, 82, and Clifton, 53 -- who live at the Nelson address. Miller had been caring for Robert Bittle, taking him out from time to time.
On Thursday, Miller picked up Robert Bittle at 2:45 p.m. and returned around 7:45 p.m. Miller then went to pick up Glenn and the two of them sat in the pickup in the Bittles' driveway to wait for their friend, Clifton Bittle, to come home from work, reports show.
As they sat in the truck, Miller and Glenn were approached by two thin boys, likely 16 to 18, both black and wearing do-rags. One had on a yellow shirt, and the other wore black.
The one in black approached Glenn's side of the truck and the one in yellow approached Miller on the driver's side. The boys asked the men if they had any weed (marijuana); the men said they "don't do weed."
Miller was then told to get out of the truck. Glenn was shot in the face and passed out for a short time. He woke to see Miller running for the porch.
The boy in black then passed his gun to the boy in yellow, who opened fire on Miller, police were told.
Ruth Bittle told police that she heard gunshots and saw Miller approaching her door, where he fell. Another gunshot shattered her front door glass and the boy in yellow entered, saying, "Where the hell is the money?"
The elderly woman told the boy there was no money and he left.
Clifton Bittle said from his home Friday that he did a little shopping after leaving work Thursday evening at Giant Eagle and then drove home. He saw two boys walking away from his driveway but at the time didn't think they were suspicious.
"I saw the truck door was open and thought maybe somebody broke into it," Bittle said. "That's when I saw his [Miller's] friend, and he was bleeding. He said he'd been shot."
Bittle said he next saw Miller lying on the porch. He described the victim as a good friend and caring person.
"He enjoyed my parents; he would do things for them that needed done. My dad has Alzheimer's," Bittle said. "I have no idea who did this. My mom said one of them screamed at her, wanted money."
Police collected two .380-caliber casings and two expended bullets from the truck and another casing near the porch.