Traffic stop leads to charges for 2 city men

YOUNGSTOWN — A motorist who was pulled over for a traffic violation wound up in more serious trouble when he jumped out of his vehicle and tried to run from police.

A passenger in that vehicle wound up in trouble as well, charged with possession of marijuana.

Police said an officer on patrol saw a man later identified as Edward McElroy, 22, of Glenwood Avenue, fail to use his turn signal when turning from Indianola Avenue onto Hillman Street.

The officer followed and stopped the Ford SUV McElroy was driving at Warren Avenue and Hillman, but McElroy jumped out and ran off, leaving four others sitting in the vehicle, police said.

Officers removed the four from the SUV and found two “chunks” of suspected marijuana on the back seat where passenger Martez Pete, 18, of West Evergreen Avenue, had been sitting.

They searched Pete and found some plastic bags of suspected marijuana stuffed down his pants, police said.

Meanwhile, a K-9 unit was called to the scene to help track McElroy and police spotted him a short time later on a porch in the 100 block of West Earle Avenue. He ran again and police said he broke into the rear of a vacant house at 153 W. Warren Ave., where officers finally caught him.

McElroy was charged with a turn-signal violation, driving a vehicle with expired plates, driving under suspension, resisting arrest and breaking and entering.

Both he and Pete were taken to Mahoning County jail to await arraignment today.

The owner of the vehicle, Joeray Redmond, 27, of Hudson Avenue, was one of the passengers in the SUV. He was given a citation for knowingly allowing a driver with a suspended license to operate his vehicle, police said. He, along with the remaining two passengers, were released at the scene.

The SUV was impounded.