Marijuana plants seized

Marijuana plants seized

YOUNGSTOWN — Mixed in among the vegetables of a large “community garden” in the 2100 block of Mahoning Avenue police found 10 marijuana plants.

Members of the Vice Squad, acting on a tip, visited the West Side garden on Thursday and spoke to a man who lives at 2118 Mahoning with his girlfriend. The man, who was out mowing the grass, told the officers that the community garden straddles two properties, between 2118 and 2124 Mahoning, and he had no knowledge of the marijuana.

No charges were filed. Police confiscated the marijuana plants, pending further investigation.

On Wednesday, Vice Squad officers collected 10 marijuana plants they found in the backyard of 2255 Kimmel St. on the East Side.

Police investigate robbery

LIBERTY — Police are investigating an aggravated robbery in the township during which a gun was held to the head of a 13-year-old girl.

According to police reports, a 46-year-old Northview woman was home with at least three juveniles in the predawn hours of Thursday when two armed men kicked in the door. Reports say one of the men pointed a gun at the head of the girl who was sitting on a couch with a 2-year-old and 1-year-old child. The other pointed the gun at the woman and demanded cash.

The woman handed over a lock box containing $300 in cash and other miscellaneous items.

Police believe the men ran away on foot, and they preserved a footprint on the door where it was kicked in.

Vehicle driven into pool

HERMITAGE, Pa. — A man lost control of a car and it ended up in a neighbor’s swimming pool, Hermitage police reported.

James Delfratte Sr., 77, of 1005 N. Buhl Farm Drive, was moving the car in his driveway at 6:42 p.m. Thursday when he lost control of it, police said. Delfratte drove through his open garage door and through the back wall of the garage. The car continued through his backyard, through a garden, a 6-foot-high fence and through property at 2040 Rockwell Ave. It continued through that yard, striking a shed. Then, it turned a sharp right until it was facing the swimming pool. It continued into the swimming pool. Delfratte got out of the car, and it slid into the deep end, police said.

Delfratte suffered minor injuries. Police do not indicate if he was cited.

2 area houses burn down

YOUNGSTOWN — A fire at 115 Ellenwood Ave. spread to the house at 117 Ellenwood around 1:45 a.m. Friday and, for safety reasons, both vacant structures were allowed to burn down, the fire department said.

The deliberately set fire at 115 Ellenwood caused the house to collapse 10 minutes after firefighters arrived, reports show.

Both South Side houses were worth $4,000 each.

On Thursday, a deliberately set fire at 1703 E. High St., a vacant South Side house, started in the basement around 3:45 a.m. and spread upward, the fire department said. Damage was set at $25,000, a total loss.

Leetonia water info issued

LEETONIA — Village Administrator Gary Phillips said Friday that water users may see some discoloration in their water over the weekend.

A flow test for a fire suppression system was being conducted at BTI. The company is located in the Columbiana County Port Authority’s trade park in the village.

Without any scheduling or approval from the village, a Leetonia company that Phillips wouldn’t name tested the system, Phillips said. That caused a 6-foot drop in the water supply in the village’s water tower, which may stir up silt in the system, and triggered an alarm.

There was no known damage.

Sharon shooting probed

SHARON, Pa. — Police are expecting to make arrests soon in a shooting in the city.

Police Chief Michael Menster said a 19-year-old Sharon man was walking in the area of Budd Street and New Castle Avenue when two cars approached him. Six shots were fired at him from one of the cars, but he was not hit, Menster said.

He said about five or six men got out of the cars and punched and kicked the victim, who suffered minor injuries.

Menster said police believe the shooting was gang-related and in retaliation for another shooting that happened earlier this month.

Buses’ converters stolen

YOUNGSTOWN — Catalytic converters were cut off and stolen from two buses used by the Youngstown Area Community Center on McCartney Road, police said.

The theft was discovered Thursday afternoon by a bus driver for the Head Start program. The loss was estimated at $3,300.

Patrolman Dave Santangelo of the Scrap Theft Unit said Friday this makes 10 catalytic converters reported stolen in the city the past week or so. Five catalytic converters were taken from vehicles at a car rental business on North Meridian Road, and three were taken from city trucks parked at the municipal golf course on Gypsy Lane.

Hearing is continued

MERCER, Pa. — A preliminary hearing has been continued until 10 a.m. Aug. 22 for the man charged with three felonies in a bomb threat at Mercer County Courthouse.

Ronald E. Garrett, 61, of Biscayne Drive, Hermitage, is charged with threats to use weapons of mass destruction, terrorist threats and criminal use of a communication device in connection with the telephoned threat that resulted in evacuation of the courthouse July 9.

An initial preliminary hearing set for July 18 was postponed to allow time for a mental health evaluation.

Garrett is in the Mercer County jail on a $50,000 bond.

Stolen bank card used

YOUNGSTOWN — Not long after a bank card was taken in a burglary in the 200 block of South Dunlap Avenue on the West Side, it was used across town on the South Side to buy a carton of cigarettes at a convenience store, police said.

The burglary happened between 4:45 and 6:40 p.m. Thursday. When the victim called the bank to report the card missing, he learned it already had been used.

Police went to the store, but the clerk would only say a white man used the card.

Also taken from the house was a computer and printer. Entry was gained by forcing open a rear door.

Grammy nominee booked

COLUMBIANA —The Firestone Park Gazebo Summer Concert Series has announced Grammy-nominated children’s artist Zak Morgan will perform at the stage from 2 to 4 p.m. Sunday.

Local magician Niland Herbkersman and ventriloquist June McLaughlin will also be featured. Rita’s Italian Ice will give away free samples, and the Northeast Ohio Girl Scouts will have a free craft project for children.

Dog owner charged

NILES — A New Middletown woman is charged with animal cruelty for locking her dog in a car for more than an hour.

Police arrived at the parking lot of Dillards at Eastwood Mall at 5:08 p.m. Thursday to find a dog locked in a vehicle with the windows rolled up and parked in direct sunlight. A witness said the dog was seen in the car for 45 minutes before police arrived.

Darlene C. Harris, 27, the vehicle’s owner, returned about an hour after police arrived.

At the time, a dispatcher with the Niles Police Department indicated the temperature to be 83 degrees. Harris told officers that she wasn’t aware she’d left the dog, who was without food or water, for such an extended period.

Police charged her with one count of animal cruelty, a misdemeanor.

According to an officer, Harris was allowed to return home with the dog, who showed no signs of heat-related illness.

Bazetta to hold conference

BAZETTA — Township trustees will have a news conference at 8:30 a.m. today at the township administration building regarding the township’s fiscal officer.

Library to hold book sale

WARREN — The Friends of the Warren Library invite the community to its annual book sale this weekend at Warren-Trumbull County Public Library, 444 Mahoning Ave. N.W.

Today, the public is welcome to attend the book sale from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. On Sunday, hours are from 1 to 3 p.m., with “2 a bag” for the entire two hours.

The main library will not be open for regular business during the book sale.

Materials are sorted into more than 30 categories, with thousands of books, magazines, movies, and more at bargain prices. Cash or check with proper identification will be accepted. There will be no credit card sales.

FOWL uses funds generated by the book sale to support programs and services of the Warren-Trumbull County Public Library.