Police conduct probe into woman's death in city jail

Sveda said BCI told him no crime was committed in the woman's death.
By WILLIAM K. ALCORN
VINDICATOR STAFF WRITER
STRUTHERS -- City officials are conducting an internal investigation into Saturday's death of a 42-year-old woman in the city jail.
The woman, Diane L. Nail of Struthers, was found dead in the women's cellblock about 6:45 p.m. She had been arrested about six hours earlier on a warrant for failure to appear in court on a charge of violating a temporary protection order, police said.
Her death is being investigated as a suicide, said Richard Jamrozik, an investigator with the Mahoning County Coroner's office. He said Nail wrapped a cord from a telephone in the cell range around her neck twice and asphyxiated herself.
The coroner is not expected to list an official cause of death until the results of an autopsy and toxicological tests are known in a couple of months, officials said.
Looking at procedures
The internal investigation will focus on procedures and how Nail's death occurred without anyone in authority knowing it, John P. Sveda, city safety-service director, said at Wednesday's council meeting.
Previously, Police Chief Robert Norris said her body was discovered when guards brought dinner to the inmates. He said the inmates are usually checked every hour.
Sveda said he, Norris and Law Director Carol Clemente Wagner are leading the internal investigation, which will include a review of film from cameras that monitor the jail, statements filed on the matter, and interviews. Sveda said the internal investigation should be concluded sometime next week.
In the meantime, Sveda said that the Ohio Bureau of Criminal Identification and Investigation, which is investigating the case, told him that no crime was committed in Nail's death.
Vicious-dog problem
In other business, a growing problem with vicious dogs running at large has council investigating ways to strengthen its ordinance to deal with the issue.
Fourth Ward Councilman Paul Garchar Jr. said he is looking at an ordinance recently passed in Warren and at dog-control ordinances in other communities for ideas on how to improve Struthers' law.
He said he would like to see fines increased and the city law include within those fines attacks on other pets as well as humans.
Garchar urged residents to file complaints with the police department about vicious dogs and dogs running loose.
alcorn@vindy.com