Christmas Day fires

Christmas Day fires

YOUNGSTOWN — Firefighters responded to three fires on the South Side on Christmas Day, one caused by lighted decorations plugged into a porch light socket at 256 E. Philadelphia Ave. The socket shorted out around 12:30 p.m. and fire spread behind the wall to the second floor, the fire department said. Damage was set at $1,500.

Flames were visible from the rear of a vacant house at 536 W. Evergreen Ave. when firefighters arrived at 6:20 a.m. Fire engulfed the first floor. The crew requested demolition. The cause is under investigation. Damage was set at $2,000, a total loss.

At 11:30 p.m., crews were sent to 3550 Tangent St. after a 911 caller reported hearing two explosions. Fire was intentionally started in a car-hauling trailer parked in the driveway and spread to the vacant house, reports show. A strong odor of gasoline was detected near the trailer. Damage was set at $7,000, a total loss.

Man reports assault

CAMPBELL — Police are searching for the man who assaulted his victim and left two rounds of live ammunition in the victim’s Robinson Road apartment Christmas Eve.

A 36-year-old man told police he was walking home from his mother’s house when a man identified only as “D” had offered him a ride home. “D” then followed the victim into his apartment in an attempt to rob him, reports said.

During the confrontation, the victim reported his assailant tried to shoot him twice. Both times, the gun failed to discharge, according to reports. When the gun failed, “D” struck the victim in the head with the pistol, reports said. Police found the victim bleeding from his head shortly after 8:30 p.m. He was treated at St. Elizabeth Health Center.

Defendants in Oklahoma

YOUNGSTOWN — Two of the three people charged in the $7.4 million robbery of AT Systems, an armored car company in Liberty, are at the Federal Transfer Center in Oklahoma City, Okla. Roger Lee Dillon, 22, and his mother, Sharon L. Gregory, 48, are at the facility that houses male and female detainees. The whereabouts of Dillon’s girlfriend, Nicole D. Boyd, were not immediately known.

A federal grand jury in Cleveland indicted Dillon, Boyd and Gregory, all of Youngstown, earlier this month. The theft at AT Systems took place Nov. 26. The trio and the money were found Dec. 1 at a trailer in Pipestem, W.Va. They are being held in pretrial detention. No trial date has been set.

Death ruled a suicide

HERMITAGE, Pa. — The death of a Beaver County man found in a Hermitage hotel room has been ruled a suicide.

Hermitage police said they were called at 1 p.m. Tuesday by the Pennsylvania State Police in Beaver County requesting a welfare check on Jeffrey Diamond, 31, of Hookstown, Pa., who was staying at the Hermitage Inn. State police advised that Diamond had violated a protection from abuse order and he threatened to commit suicide and “take out” anyone who tried to stop him.

Police forced their way into the room and found Diamond dead on the bed. Deputy Coroner Jerry Smith ruled Diamond committed suicide.

Police probe scheme

YOUNGSTOWN — A 35-year-old Kenmore Avenue man admitted to police that he owed a drug dealer a lot of money early Christmas. The dealer told him to bring back a tow truck driver or cabbie to a house on East Judson Avenue so they could “roll” the driver and take his money.

Police spotted a Crump’s tow truck on Midlothian Boulevard and pulled it over around 3:40 a.m. Tuesday after the dispatcher reported losing contact with the driver. The driver whispered “Help me” when the officers approached.

The passenger told police he had the tow truck driver take him all over because he was unsure if he could follow through with the plan to rob the driver and he feared the driver might be killed.

No arrests were made. The case has been assigned to the detective division.