Fundraiser moved

Fundraiser moved

AUSTINTOWN — Organizers of the fundraiser to benefit Austintown police officer Ross Linert have moved today’s fundraiser to Austintown Fitch High School as a result of the large number of tickets that have been sold so far. Edward Anthony, a Warren Township police office, said the show featuring International Wrestling Association stars, local wrestling talent and boxer Kelly Pavlik has been moved to the high school from the adjacent Austintown Middle School. Linert was burned over 40 percent of his body in the Nov. 11 crash. Doors open at 6 p.m. with the show starting at 7 p.m.

Afternoon With Santa

STRUTHERS — The city will have an Afternoon With Santa at 1 p.m. today at the Municipal Building, 6 Elm St. Children of all ages are invited to visit with Santa, and each child will receive a treat.

Shot fired into floor

YOUNGSTOWN — Police said a Division Street woman was jailed after she admitted firing a shot from a .45-caliber handgun into the floor of her home during an argument with her 16-year-old son. Durbin Pagan, 50, told police she and her son got into an argument around 2 p.m. Friday after she told him to get off the computer. She told police her son threatened to beat her, prompting her to get her husband’s gun and fire a shot into the floor. She was arrested on a domestic violence charge and taken to Mahoning County jail. Her son was also charged with domestic violence and taken to the Juvenile Justice Center.

Case sent to grand jury

YOUNGSTOWN — Arlecia A. Davis, the 25-year-old East Midlothian Avenue woman accused of throwing her 3-year-old son down a flight of stairs last month, waived her preliminary hearing Friday in municipal court on charges of felonious assault and felony child endangering, said her attorney, Paul Conn. The case was then bound over to a Mahoning County grand jury. She remains in jail in lieu of $30,000 bond, reduced from $50,000. A court order is still in effect that prohibits her from having contact with her son. At the time of her arrest, Davis was pregnant with twins. Sheriff Randall A. Wellington said Davis was taken to a hospital Nov. 14 to give birth, stayed for three days, and then returned to jail. It wasn’t immediately known who took charge of the infants or their gender. Police said Davis' son nodded his head yes when asked if his mother threw him down the steps Nov. 1.

Drive-through entry

WARREN — The former boyfriend of a manager at McDonald’s South Street restaurant wanted to talk with her so badly that he crawled through the drive-through window. The manager told police her ex-boyfriend arrived at the restaurant shortly before 1:30 a.m. Thursday and wanted to talk with her about her ending their relationship and firing him earlier in the day. When she turned away, the man slid through the window and punched her. She told police that he took her personal keys and those to the business. Crash at Burger King

BOARDMAN — An 89-year-old woman’s foot slipped off the brake of her car and onto the gas pedal, sending her car through the doors of a U.S. Route 224 restaurant. Police Chief Patrick Berarducci said the woman, Mabel Pyle of Eisenhower Drive, pulled into the lot of Burger King about 3:30 p.m. Thursday and tried to park her car. Her foot slipped and the car drove through the restaurant doors. No one was injured and no citations were issued, the chief said.

4 new citizens

YOUNGSTOWN — Four people became U.S. citizens in a ceremony Thursday with Judge John M. Durkin of Mahoning County Common Pleas Court presiding. Their names, hometowns and countries of origin are: Zacresima Magsayo Tumanda, Austintown, Philippines; Arnel Ochoa Cubarrubia, Boardman, Philippines; Asma Yousef Hamdan, Youngstown, Palestine; Maria Ester Ziegler, Poland, Ohio, Dominican Republic.

3 face drug charges

YOUNGSTOWN — Three men face drug-related charges after two drug raids Thursday. At 1210 Arch Street, Phillip D. Whitman, 31, of Cassius Street, was issued a citation charging drug abuse marijuana, and Mario Townsend, 20, of East Florida Avenue, was issued a citation charging of possession of dangerous drugs (pills). At 630 Griffith St., Apt. 167, Ricky M. Easterly, 26, of Morley Avenue, Campbell, was arrested on charges of possession of cocaine and illegal possession of a weapon based on previous convictions. All three were arraigned Friday in municipal court. Whitman will be back in court Jan. 11 and Townsend on Jan. 24 for pretrial hearings. Bond was set at $25,000 for Easterly and a preliminary hearing set for Thursday.

Caught with water meters

YOUNGSTOWN — Alfred Hall Jr., lugging two heavy bags on East Dewey Avenue, was stopped Thursday by police who had warrants for his arrest on charges of receiving stolen property — water meters. Inside the bags, police found two more water meters, freshly torn-away copper pipe, grounding wire, plumbing fixtures, household wiring and more. Hall, 38, of Brooklyn Avenue, was arraigned Friday in municipal court on eight counts of receiving stolen property, one count of having criminal tools and two counts of breaking and entering. Bond was set at $15,000 and a preliminary hearing for Friday. Hall told police that he’s hit a lot of vacant houses on the South Side.

Spaghetti dinner benefit

GIRARD — WRP Investments and friends of the family of Brent and Heather Nelson are having a spaghetti dinner to benefit 3-year-old Taylor Nelson, who has been diagnosed with neuroblastoma, a cancer of the sympathetic nervous system. The dinner will be from noon to 5 p.m. today at St. Rose School in Girard. The Taylor Nelson Benefit Fund has been established at the National City Bank to help the Nelson family with medical expenses. Anyone wishing to donate to the fund can do so at the Liberty Branch of National City.

‘Gardens by Candlelight’

YOUNGSTOWN — “Gardens by Candlelight” is planned from 5:30 to 8 p.m. Sunday at Fellows Riverside Gardens of Mill Creek Metroparks. Twinkling lights and luminarias will illuminate a wintry walk through the gardens. Warm up in the Davis Center with music, cocoa, coffee and sugar cookies. Those attending are asked to bring a nonperishable food item to donate to Second Harvest Food Bank. Due to the nature of this event, strollers cannot be accommodated.

Arraigned on drug charge

YOUNGSTOWN — A Campbell man who reportedly told Street Crimes Unit officers to “shut up” when they stopped to ask about an unoccupied but running car near a North Side convenience store late Thursday was arrested on three outstanding felony warrants based on a Mahoning County indictment charging nonsupport of dependents. Once at the jail, police said they discovered several small rocks of suspected crack cocaine in Gerald K. Banks’ left sock. The 37-year-old Madison Street man was then charged with possession of drugs. He was arraigned Friday in municipal court on the drug charge and posted bond. He will be back in court next Friday for a preliminary hearing. The nonsupport charges are in common pleas court.