A safe place for cat that escaped arson
As a precaution, the suspect is in
a cell by himself, the sheriff said.
By PATRICIA MEADE
VINDICATOR CRIME REPORTER
YOUNGSTOWN — They’re calling him Smoky.
The black and white short-haired male cat was rescued after a deliberately set fire killed six members of the Crawford family at their Stewart Avenue home last Wednesday. Another cat taken from the property had to be euthanized.
Smoky — who kept going back into the house gutted by fire — was eventually caught in a trap borrowed from Diane Less at Angels for Animals. She said the cat reeked of smoke but was otherwise in pretty good shape and has since been neutered and received his shots.
If Crawford family members want to claim the cat they can call Less at (330) 502-5352. Those interested in adopting Smoky can also call Less.
If Smoky is not claimed or adopted by Friday, those interested in adopting the cat can see him at the Angels for Animals shelter from 6 to 8:30 p.m. Friday, Less said. The facility is at 4750 state Route 165 in Canfield.
Patrolman Lou Ciavarella, a crime lab investigator, was alerted to the cats by firefighters. He set the trap up in the detached garage the day after the fire and, when he checked at 5 a.m. last Friday, the cat was inside it.
“I’d seen him going in and out of the house but he wouldn’t come when called. I didn’t want to give up,” Ciavarella said. “On Friday morning I saw one set of paw tracks from the house into the trap.”
Less and Ciavarella described Smoky as real friendly.
“He was infested with smoke — he really smells,” Less said. “He was lucky to get out and now he needs a home. He’ll stay at my house until adopted. I’m his foster mother now.”
Carol Crawford, 46, her daughter Jennifer R. Crawford, 23, and Jennifer’s four children, Ranaisha, 8, Jeannine, 5, Aleisha, 3, and Brandon, 2, all perished in the fire in upstairs bedrooms. An accelerant on the porch was ignited sometime after 5 a.m. Wednesday.
A neighbor, Michael A. Davis, 18, of 817 Bennington Ave., is charged with six counts of aggravated homicide and 11 counts of aggravated arson and is being held in jail without bond. As a precaution, Davis is in protective custody in a cell by himself, said Sheriff Randall A. Wellington, adding there have been no problems.
The area of the Davis family home on Bennington, meanwhile, is being watched round-the-clock by police, said Capt. Kenneth Centorame, chief of detectives. He said the protection will remain for an indefinite period.
A source has said a dispute over a stolen cell phone served as motive for the deadly arson. An AT&T cell phone was logged in as evidence at the police department Monday.
Mahoning County Prosecutor Paul J. Gains said last week that the case against Davis will be directly presented to a grand jury Thursday and that the prosecution will seek the death penalty. He said if detectives present evidence against others who may have been involved or obstructed justice, the evidence will be “packaged” for presentation to the grand jury.
Under the caption “hearts and prayers,” photos of the four children who died in the fire are featured on The Youngstown Professional Firefighters Local 312 Web site at http://local312.youngstownfire.com.
“Nothing can be said or done to convey our sorrow and heartfelt loss,” the union wrote on its Web site. “Members of the union have been donating at Youngstown Fire Station No. 1 since the morning of the tragic fire that claimed their lives.”
meade@vindy.com