Police arrest one, seek another in incidents

By John w. Goodwin jr.

Police are still looking for the armed robber.

YOUNGSTOWN — Early-morning mayhem on the city’s South Side this week landed one man in jail and left a bar employee shaken.

According to police reports, a 22-year-old employee at Pal Joey’s Bar on Midlothian Boulevard said he was locking the interior double doors at 1:30 a.m. Thursday preparing to leave the business when someone placed a hard object to his back.

The intruder told the employee, “Don’t move, and don’t turn around. Go back inside the bar.”

Reports say the employee told the intruder that he could not reset the alarm and it would soon go off. The employee told police the intruder became nervous and began to search the employee’s pockets.

The intruder eventually ran off with about $50 and two credit cards belonging to the employee. Police are still searching for the man.

Less than 15 minutes before the bar robbery, officers were blocks away arresting a 28-year-old Medford Street man on a list of charges.

Officers were called to the area around South and Boston avenues after someone reported shots fired from a silver Dodge Durango in that area. Police spotted the truck driving without tail lights a short time later.

Officers pulled the vehicle over as the driver was attempting to back into a driveway in the 300 block of Florida Avenue. All four occupants in the truck were ordered to get out of the vehicle and placed in various police cars.

According to police reports, the truck was determined to have been stolen out of Warren last week. Officers also found a silver Smith & Wesson handgun in the car.

Along with the gun, police found suspected marijuana, more than 230 OxyContin pills, Valium and suspected crack cocaine.

Police charged the driver of the vehicle, Montrell Gilbert, 28, of Youngstown, with receiving stolen property, carrying a concealed weapon, possession of cocaine, possession of marijuana, possession of OxyContin and Valium and driving under suspension.

Reports say officers also found suspected cocaine in the police car used to transport Gilbert to the police department.

The other three occupants of the vehicle were released at the scene.

jgoodwin@vindy.com