Three men arrested in burglary of news and beverage business

They were arrested at gunpoint.
By WILLIAM K. ALCORN
VINDICATOR STAFF WRITER
STRUTHERS -- Struthers police arrested three suspects in a burglary early Tuesday at Struthers News and Beverage, 14 State St., just moments after the break-in occurred.
Scheduled to be arraigned in Municipal Court today were Billie H. Gray, 39, of Beaver Falls, Pa.; Donald B. Donaldson, 46, of Warren; and Wayne A. Shaftic, 38, of New Castle, Pa.
The three are charged with breaking and entering, receiving stolen property and failure to comply with the order or signal of a police officer. Additionally, Donaldson is charged with theft, and Shaftic with possessing drug abuse instruments.
Police were alerted at 5:03 a.m. by the State Alarm Co. that the alarm at the news and beverage store had been activated. A resident also heard the glass shatter and got the last four digits of a large dark car fleeing from the business, according to the police report.
Chase
An officer traveling east on Poland Avenue searching the area saw a vehicle matching the description of the suspects' car westbound on Poland. He turned around and turned on his emergency lights and siren to stop the suspects' car. The vehicle sped up, turned north on the Center Street Bridge, went through the red light at Wilson Avenue and continued north. Police said the suspect vehicle tried to make a sharp left turn onto Gladstone Avenue in Youngstown and crashed into the ditch on the west side of Gladstone.
The officer said he blocked the driver's-side door of the vehicle with his cruiser, and when two of the suspects attempted to flee out the passenger-side door, he drew his service revolver and kept all three at gunpoint until assistance arrived.
Police said a search of the suspects turned up a glass pipe in Shaftic's jacket pocket. Police said they searched the car, reported stolen in Youngstown at 12:30 p.m. Monday, and found a carton of cigarettes in the passenger area and 14 cartons of cigarettes. A rock believed to have been used to break the store's front window was found in the car's trunk.
One suspect was transported to the Mahoning County Justice Center because of his medical conditions. The other two where in Struthers City Jail.