5 arrested at church festival in Boardman

One boy was arrested after a gun was found on him during a fight.

By ALISON KEMP

VINDICATOR STAFF WRITER

BOARDMAN — Fights at the St. Charles Festival have caused police and church officials to brainstorm on ways to make the event, and others like it, safer.

After Boardman police officers broke up one fight at the festival Sunday night, a second one ensued, but this time, there was a gun involved.

Two 16-year-old Youngstown boys were fighting when Patrolman John Gocala Jr. struck the boys, attempting to break up the fight. Gocala had heard shouts from the crowd that someone had a gun, and he found the gun near one of the boy’s waists, he said.

Boardman Police Chief Patrick Berarducci said seven officers were stationed inside the church, located at 7345 Westview Road, for the festival and 20 cars were stationed around the church grounds.

At 11:15 p.m., a call went out for all available officers to come to the festival.

Gocala said he felt half of the people at the festival were trying to get out as he was trying to subdue the fighting boys and the other half was pushing and shoving.

“People just want to jump in the ring,” he said.

About 20 other officers arrived at the scene after the call for assistance went out. Officers came from Poland, Poland Township, Beaver Township, Springfield Township and New Middletown and officers from the sheriff’s department also arrived.

The arrests made

“You saved a lot of lives last night,” Berarducci said to Gocala at a news conference Monday.

Police arrested one of the boys on disorderly conduct and resisting arrest charges, and the second on charges of carrying a concealed weapon, resisting arrest, disorderly conduct and possession of a deadly weapon on school grounds.

They will have a hearing later at Martin P. Joyce Juvenile Justice Center.

The weapon was a semiautomatic pistol, a gun that police use. An investigation about where the gun came from will be conducted, Berarducci said, adding no shots were fired.

Police also arrested two 16-year-old girls and one 20-year-old woman, Melissa Underwood, all from Youngstown, in the first fight.

One 16-year-old was arrested on charges of resisting arrest, obstructing and criminal trespassing; the second teen girl was arrested on charges of assault on a police officer, resisting arrest and obstructing.

The teenagers will have a hearing to be set later at juvenile court.

Underwood was arrested on charges of resisting arrest, obstructing official business, disorderly conduct and criminal trespassing. She is scheduled to appear on those charges later this week in Mahoning County Court.

Intervention is necessary

Berarducci compared the problems at the festival with those Cinemark Movies 8 at 469 Boardman-Poland Road was having. He said by requiring parents to accompany juveniles to evening movies, the fighting problems were solved.

“It went from a near riot to peace,” he said.

He feels it may be appropriate to require parents to accompany juveniles to events like the festival.

“If you’re not going to behave, it takes intervention,” Berarducci said. He later added, “I’m not going to put up with this. This is ridiculous.”

Other options for security include establishing entrance fees at festivals and adding fencing.

Mark Heagerty, the finance director at St. Charles, said church officials are brainstorming on ways to make the festival better.

“We are taking the proper measures to make sure something like this doesn’t happen again,” Heagerty said.

akemp@vindy.com