Jury has child-sex case

Jury has child-sex case

YOUNGSTOWN — A seven-woman, five-man jury will resume deliberations at 9 a.m. today in the case of a man charged with three counts of rape and one count of gross sexual imposition involving a 10-year-old boy. The jury deliberated the fate of the defendant, Nicholas C. Congemi, 27, of Meadowbrook Avenue, for 45 minutes Friday and from 9 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Monday. Congemi faces a mandatory life sentence if he’s convicted on any of the rape counts, and one to five years in prison if he’s convicted on the gross sexual imposition charge. The offenses, for which Congemi was indicted in August 2003, allegedly occurred in May through August 2002 at Congemi’s residence, where the boy cut the grass. The case is before Judge James C. Evans of Mahoning County Common Pleas Court. The trial began May 14.

Driver had heart attack

NEW CASTLE, Pa. — A Pittsburgh man apparently had a heart attack before crashing his car on U.S. Route 422 in New Castle.

Shenango Township Police said Thomas A. Weber, 68, was on the on-ramp heading west when his car went off and on the road before heading to a grassy area and hitting a guide rail at 7:11 a.m. Monday.

Police believe he had a heart attack before losing control of the 2006 Hyundai Sonata sedan.

He was pronounced dead at the scene.

Robbery at Wal-Mart

BOARDMAN — Police are investigating a weekend robbery at a Doral Drive discount store.

An employee at Wal-Mart told police that a man went to the register early Saturday with a shopping cart full of clothing.

A cashier rang up and bagged the items, which totaled about $127. The man handed the cashier a calling card wrapped in a note that said, “if you say a word, I’ll pull this trigger and blow your brains out,” a police report said.

The cashier didn’t see a weapon but the man kept his hand near his waist band as if he had a weapon.

The cashier told police that she just stared at the man, and he grabbed the bag of merchandise and walked out of the store to a waiting vehicle.

The car then headed toward South Avenue.

Pedestrian killed by car

SHARON, Pa. — Police say they don’t expect to file charges against a man who struck and killed a pedestrian.

Police Chief Mike Menster said it was rainy and visibility was poor when Vath Khannouvong’s 1995 Ford Mustang hit James L. Mock, 19, of West Middlesex, as he was crossing at Pa. Route 62 and Smith Avenue, near the Sharon-Hermitage border, at 9:50 p.m. Saturday.

Witnesses told police that Khannouvong, 49, of Sharon, had a green light as he proceeded through the intersection.

“Visibility, we think, was the issue,” Menster said. Mock was thrown by the impact and taken to Sharon Regional Hospital, where he later died. The driver was not hurt.

Two accident reconstructionists from the Hermitage Police Department are assisting Sharon with the investigation.

Gun shop robbed twice

BOARDMAN — For the second time in less than a week, thieves broke into a Youngstown-Poland Road gun shop and stole firearms.

Police said 42 guns were taken from Miller Rod & Gun in the two break-ins — May 14 and early Sunday.

In both cases, the thieves pried open the business’s front door in the early morning.

Gun thefts also were reported in recent weeks in Liberty and Rogers.

Police are working with the federal Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives on the case.

Wounded man was fugitive

WARREN — A 22-year-old man wounded by gunfire Sunday night has been returned to Summit County where he’s wanted on a drug charge.

City police reported that Ahmen B. McCollum, of Atlantic Street, was shot in the shoulder about 10 p.m. on Roberts Avenue. When police arrived, both McCollum and his assailant had fled. Police found McCollum at Forum Health St. Joseph Health Center. He was released Monday morning and taken to the Trumbull County Jail on a warrant charging him with trafficking in a controlled substance. He was then taken to the Summit County Jail.

Retirement incentive

McDONALD— The village school board has approved a new early-retirement incentive program for teachers, which officials hope will save money.

Superintendent Michel Wasser said that if all employees who could take advantage of the program did, the district could save $600,000. The theory is that teachers near the top of the pay scale would leave and be replaced by less-experienced teaches making less money.

Pay-outs under the program would be $20,000 for those taking the incentive in the 2007-08 school year, $15,0000 in 2008-09 and $10,000 in 2009-10.

The program is limited to 10 percent of staff, but additional retirements can be allowed on the recommendation of the superintendent.

Passenger injured

CANFIELD — A crash on U.S. Route 62 Monday critically injured one person, the Ohio State Highway Patrol said.

The patrol is not releasing the name of the person, who is from Pennsylvania, until family is notified. He was taken to St. Elizabeth Health Center.

The accident happened around 4:30 p.m. A van driven by Dewey Salyers, 73, of Youngstown, hit the back of a truck that had stopped to back into a driveway just west of Leffingwell Road, the patrol reports. It was Salyers’ passenger who was injured. Salyers had minor injuries and was also taken to St. Elizabeth. The truck driver, Darren Wagner, 31, of North Jackson, was not injured, the patrol reports.