Cops sort through homicide evidence

Detectives have several versions of what happened.

YOUNGSTOWN — The man who shot 29-year-old Antwan Richardson inside 357 Carroll St. ran out the front door to a waiting car, police said.

Richardson was pronounced dead at 6:04 p.m. Wednesday at St. Elizabeth Health Center, about a half-hour after he was shot in the chest and left hip. He had several addresses in the city, the most recent possibly on South Schenley Avenue.

Capt. Kenneth Centorame, chief of detectives, said homicide detectives have several versions of what happened. The witnesses include a father and son, who live at the Carroll Street house on the city’s South Side, and Richardson’s cousin, who drove him there and waited for him in the driveway.

The cousin, Aaron Rozier of Woodcrest Avenue, owns the property on Carroll. He told police that he heard gunshots around 5:30 p.m. and then saw Richardson come out the side door with blood all over his shirt. Rozier, 26, drove Richardson to the hospital.

“There’s various stories on how the shooter got in the house,” Centorame said, adding there’s a lot of work to do with the witnesses. “I’m not saying it’s drug-related, and I’m not saying it isn’t.”

Drug convictions

Court records show the victim, his cousin and the men who live at the house have drug convictions. Rozier also had a drug possession charge that was sent to a Mahoning County grand jury late last month.

Centorame said it’s not clear yet why Rozier took Richardson to the house, and Rozier claims he didn’t see who ran out to the waiting car.

The house on Carroll has electric but not water service, Centorame said. He said the front window glass is gone and the opening covered by a plastic shower curtain.

The two residents, Anthony Carcelli, 61, and his son Thomas Carcelli, 37, were arrested on drug charges and then taken downtown for questioning by detectives Wednesday evening. They were arraigned Thursday in municipal court and will be back in court Aug. 30 for a pretrial.

Thomas Carcelli is charged with drug abuse marijuana and possession of drug paraphernalia (crack pipe). Anthony Carcelli is charged with possession of drug paraphernalia (two crack pipes).

Police who entered the Carcellis’ home found four shell casings and blood droplets.