2 Youngstown men held in Pa. home invasion

By John w. Goodwin jr.

Additional charges may be filed soon against the men.

BROOKFIELD — Two Youngstown men are in Trumbull County Jail after a home invasion and police chase that spanned three municipalities and two states.

Allen Hill, 27, of Hilton Avenue, is charged with fleeing and eluding. Enrico T. Rhodes, 32, of Indianola Avenue, is charged with tampering with evidence. Additional charges from the Southwest Mercer County Regional Police are expected.

According to a press release from Southwest Mercer Regional, the two men are responsible for a Friday home invasion in the 1000 block of Walnut Street in Farrell, Pa., where a woman was forced into her home at gunpoint and bound with duct tape.

A man sleeping upstairs in the home was struck in the head with the butt of a gun as the intruders searched for money.

The home’s male resident fought with the two men, and the bound woman managed to escape.

The intruders fled in a beige minivan, said Southwest Police.

Dan Faustino, Brookfield Township police chief, said Brookfield officers spotted the van and attempted to pull it over at state Route 82 and Warner Road, but the men took off, leading police on a chase into Liberty Township.

Faustino said the men were throwing items out of the car during the chase, including two firearms later recovered by police.

Liberty Police Chief Richard Tisone said his township officers also responded to the chase. The van crashed into a ditch at Belmont Avenue and Wilson Street, he said, with the driver being taken into police custody immediately.

Tisone said the passenger ran off into a wooded area, but police were able to catch him within 20 minutes of the accident.

Faustino said the men are jailed on charges out of Brookfield.

Southwest Regional Police Chief Riley Smoot said the woman in the home invasion was not seriously hurt.

The man received a cut on his head but did not seek medical treatment, he said.

The assailants stole two handguns from the home, Smoot said.

Smoot said the victims told police they do not know the assailants.

Southwest Regional police have charged Rhodes and Hill with aggravated assault, burglary, unlawful restraint, reckless endangering, theft, receiving stolen property, robbery, terroristic threats. unlawful possession of a firearm and criminal conspiracy.