Police arrest 2 in stolen SUV

BOARDMAN -- Police arrested two Youngstown men after finding them in a vehicle reported stolen from Howland.
The driver, James J. Davis Jr., 29, of Glenellen Avenue, was charged with receiving stolen property, fleeing and eluding and obstructing official business, all felonies, and a misdemeanor charge of resisting arrest.
The passenger, Edward L. Johnson, 31, of Ohio Avenue, was charged with receiving stolen property and obstructing official business, both felonies. There also was a warrant from Liberty for Johnson for failure to appear.
A concerned citizen called police early Monday reporting that he saw two men breaking into cars.
The vehicle containing the two men passed a police car at Erie and Melrose avenues, and when police checked the license plate, they discovered the SUV had been reported stolen.
Officers initiated a traffic stop, but the SUV drove off when police ordered the driver to throw the keys out of the window.
Police followed the SUV, which was traveling at low speeds for several streets, and saw the driver toss a small plastic bag out of the window.
Youngstown police arrived, positioning their cruisers so it would be difficult for the driver to maneuver around. The SUV then stopped in the 4100 block of Southern Boulevard.
Davis was wearing a bulletproof vest.