Patrol officer credits Crime Stoppers

By John W. Goodwin Jr.

This is the first time the Trumbull County patrol has used the Crime Stoppers system.

BROOKFIELD — Police say the Greater Youngstown Crime Stoppers hotline played a major role in the arrest of a suspect in a 2007 hit-and-run fatality.

Dewayne M. Redinger Jr. of Stoneboro, Pa., is been charged with aggravated vehicular homicide, tampering with evidence and failure to stop after a crash. He is in Trumbull County jail awaiting arraignment Monday in Eastern District Court in Brookfield.

Michael D. Brown, 32, no address given, was pronounced dead at St. Joseph Health Center after the Aug. 16, 2007, crash on state Route 82 at Collar Price Road.

The Ohio State Highway Patrol’s Warren post said Brown, who wore a helmet, was westbound on Route 82, approaching the intersection of Collar Price. A vehicle heading south on Collar Price pulled from the stop sign and into the path of Brown’s motorcycle, which struck the left side of the vehicle. The vehicle then fled east on Route 82, the patrol said.

Lt. Joseph Dragovich, commander of the patrol post in Southington, said investigators initially received an anonymous letter concerning the accident but could not determine a suspect with that information.

Dragovich said investigators then decided to take the case to the Greater Youngstown Crime Stoppers for assistance.

Crime Stoppers solicits the help of residents unafraid to assist police in solving high-profile but difficult cases. It offers cash rewards to anyone furnishing information that leads to arrests. All tipsters are guaranteed 100 percent anonymity.

The Crime Stoppers tip line did produce a lead for police to follow — a lead with similar yet more detailed information than that supplied in the previous anonymous letter. The tip line information gave a different vehicle description that Dragovich said turned out to be the right vehicle information.

“That pointed us right back in that direction and we were finally able to go back and look at this again,” said Dragovich. “Luckily, we were able to go over and find [Redinger]. We talked to him on May 7. He came to the post on May 9 and admitted his involvement.”

Dragovich said this arrest is the first time the patrol in Trumbull County has used Crime Stoppers, but it paid off in a major way.

“This is a valuable tool,” he said. “When I reached out to Crime Stoppers, they said absolutely, and it ran enough for the right person to see it. I just can’t say enough about the program.”

jgoodwin@vindy.com