Theft case being sent to grand jury

The 2-year-old slept through the entire arrest, a police officer says.
By TIM YOVICH
VINDICATOR TRUMBULL STAFF
WARREN -- Three men are bound over to the Trumbull County grand jury on theft charges, including a Niles man accused of taking his 2-year-old son along on a break-in.
Jeremy Hebrock, 21, of Robbins Avenue, Niles; David C. Liccardi, 20, of Francis Avenue; and Cameron D. Rogers, 20, of Idylwild Street, waived their preliminary hearings Wednesday before Municipal Judge Terry Ivanchak.
A child-endangering charge against Hebrock was continued for 60 days while the case is being investigated.
While being led from the courtroom to the county jail, Hebrock said he felt bad about what happened.
Hebrock contended he is innocent and didn't know what was going on about 1:30 a.m. last Friday. He said he was on his way home with his son.
Patrol Officer Rich Kovach saw it differently.
Police reported receiving a call that three men were trying to kick in the door of a vacant house at 432 Olive St.
About the child
Kovach said after court that the car spotted leaving the house was stopped and the boy was found unrestrained, sleeping on the back seat.
"He slept through the whole incident," Kovach said. "It's sad. People need parenting classes."
The officer said tiles and spouting from the Olive Street house were found in the car.
Hebrock's attorney, Joseph Fritz, said the boy is being cared for by his grandmother; Hebrock is in the county jail but should be able to post bail in less than a week.
On May 20, 2005, three pit bulls from the Olive Street house attacked a Warren police dog, Arras, who suffered bites and puncture wounds.
The police canine unit was responding to an alarm sounding on Elm Road near Olive when the pit bulls attacked. Two of the dogs were killed by police.
Kovach said the neighborhood is known as "Area 51" because of heavy police patrols being conducted to reduce crime in the neighborhood.
"It's a magnet for crime," Kovach said, although he noted that drug dealing and prostitution have been reduced because of residents' cooperation with police.
The Olive Street house is on the city's demolition list and will be razed in about two weeks, Kovach said.
yovich@vindy.com