Innocent plea in arson

Innocent plea in arson

YOUNGSTOWN — A woman who is accused of setting her ex-boyfriend’s house on fire pleaded innocent to arson charges Monday in municipal court. Geneva L. Tate, 51, whose last known address is 606 Delason Ave., is charged with aggravated arson in a fire last Tuesday at the same address. Her ex-boyfriend, who was inside the home at the time, was not injured, said Alvin Ware, an investigator with the arson division of the Youngstown Fire Department. Judge Robert Milich set Tate’s bond at $150,000, said Pete Klimis, an assistant city prosecutor.

Armed robbery at bar

YOUNGSTOWN — Bar patrons and the owner of Patsy’s Bar, 2302 South Ave., report being robbed at gunpoint Sunday night. Witnesses report that an unidentified man came into the bar about 10:30 p.m. with a handgun and began collecting patron’s money and cell phones. Police reports say the man also demanded the contents of the bar’s cash register. He got $11.

Family Dollar robbed

YOUNGSTOWN — A man with a handgun robbed Family Dollar store at 2224 Market Street on Saturday, escaping with $95. The cashier reported that the suspect approached her register, showed her a handgun he had in his waistband and said, “Don’t make a fuss and give me the white man’s money.” He is described as black man about 40 years old with a goatee and mustache. He was wearing a baseball hat and a striped pocket T-shirt with long blue pants, police report.

Pipe stolen; gas leaks

NEW CASTLE, Pa. — Emergency workers were called to a house filled with natural gas, the result of a copper pipe theft. Firefighters and police were called to 910 Maryland Ave., just after midnight Sunday. Fire Chief Tom Bulisco said the smell of natural gas was so strong they had to wait for a Columbia Gas employee to shut off the line before entering. Firefighters then ventilated the house and when they entered discovered that all of the copper pipes were missing. A missing pipe leading to the hot water tank was the source of the gas leak. The home is owned by a Virginia man and is vacant, police said. It’s unclear when the pipes were removed.

4 arrested in assault

SHARON, Pa. — Four 18-year-old men were arrested and accused of assaulting a 16-year-old boy. Sharon police said all four are being held in the Mercer County Jail. Brian Burks, Tyrell Wells, Jeremiah Stewart, all of Sharon, and Clarence Rucker of Chicago are each charged with robbery, burglary, simple assault and criminal conspiracy. Police Chief Mike Menster said they were called to Quimby Street for a large fight in progress when they learned a 16-year-old Hermitage boy had been assaulted. The boy was chased into a nearby apartment where his attackers continued to punch him and took $90 from the resident. During the arrests Saturday, police from neighboring communities were called in to assist because a hostile crowd had formed, Menster said.

Woman stabbed

YOUNGSTOWN — A woman asked a stranger for a cigarette and got stabbed.

The woman was treated for wounds to her arms and back at St. Elizabeth Health Center. She told police she was standing at Hillman Street and Willis Avenue at 3:53 a.m. Saturday when she made her request to a man walking past. He reportedly responded, “I don’t like when people rob me,” before stabbing and cutting the woman with a box cutter and running off. She told police she had never seen the man before.