Robbery thwarted

Robbery thwarted

YOUNGSTOWN — A man wearing a Pittsburgh Steelers cap who tried to rob Burger King on West Midlothian Boulevard with a screwdriver matches the description of a suspect in two aggravated robberies in Boardman, police said.

The unshaven, 6 foot, 185-pound man entered the fast-food restaurant around 7:30 a.m. Sunday and told the manager to open the register. Instead, the manager went to the phone and called 911. The suspect left through a side door and drove off in a small car.

Attempted kidnapping

GIRARD — Police are looking for an unidentified man who attempted to snatch a 21-year-old East Liberty Street woman walking in an alley off East Liberty Street late Sunday.

The woman told police she was walking at about 11:30 p.m. when the man came from behind and grabbed her. She kicked the man and was able to run home. Police checked the area but did not find the man.

Police seek driver

LIBERTY — Township police are looking for the driver of a reportedly stolen Chevrolet truck containing drugs that crashed into a sewer ditch New Year’s Eve.

Officers chased the vehicle on Colonial Drive, Gypsy Lane and onto Kensington before it crashed into a sewer ditch and a fence, then became disabled. The driver ran off and was not captured. Officers found a bag containing 36 prescription Vicodin tablets on the front seat of the vehicle.

Sub shop robbed

BOARDMAN — Quiznos Sub Shop on Lockwood Boulevard in Boardman was robbed of $150 Friday evening.

An employee said a man entered the store at about 6 p.m. Friday and asked the cashier to give him the money in the register.

The cashier said because the man was so calm in his demand, she questioned whether or not he was serious, to which he replied, “Just give me all the 20s and 5s.” She said he took about $150 from the store before leaving toward the east side of the building.

She didn’t know if the man was armed, but he kept his right hand in the pocket of his coat. An off-duty Mahoning County deputy sheriff found a coat, which the victim identified as belonging to the man involved in the robbery, on the east side of Lockwood Boulevard south of Shields Road.

A dog was used to track the man, but no one was apprehended.

Store’s robber sought

YOUNGSTOWN — A clerk at Adult Toy & Gift on Market Street hit a panic button and used pepper spray on a robber who said he had a knife, reports show. The suspect, who also robbed the store twice last month, came toward the register Sunday afternoon as the clerk continued to aim the pepper spray toward his face.

He failed to open the register but did find $150 and took it, police said. He ran out the door to an older, white station wagon. A copy of the store’s surveillance video was to be turned over to detectives.

Fuda heads commissioners

WARREN — Frank Fuda, who is beginning his third year as Trumbull County commissioner, was voted president of the board of county commissioners Monday at the annual reorganizational meeting.

The president is the commissioner generally charged with taking official actions that require a single person, such as approving a grant agreement or advertising for bids for a project.

Fire investigated

BOARDMAN — Firefighters are investigating the cause of a fire that resulted in $50,000 damage to a home. The fire started in the basement at 153 Overhill about 3 a.m. Sunday.

New Year’s raffle winner

HOWLAND — Patricia Schisler won $100,000 for having one of the two $100,000 winning tickets sold in the Ohio Lottery’s New Years’ Raffle game. After taxes totaling 31 percent, Schisler receives $69,000. She purchased the winning ticket from Giant Eagle, 8202 E. Market St.

There were four grand prize-winning tickets worth $1 million, two worth $100,000 and 500 $500 tickets in the drawing. The game offered 6,006 total prizes with $5 million in total prizes. The $500 prize can be cashed at any licensed Ohio Lottery retailer.

Customers can obtain New Year’s Raffle drawing results at their local, licensed Ohio Lottery retailer. Complete drawing results are also available on the Ohio Lottery Web site, www.ohiolottery.com.

10 die in Ohio crashes

COLUMBUS — The Ohio State Highway Patrol said 10 people were killed in six crashes over the holiday weekend, the same number killed during last year for the same reporting period of 6 p.m. Dec. 30 through midnight Jan. 4. Eighty-three percent of the fatal crashes involved impaired drivers, the patrol said.

7 die in Pa. holiday wrecks

HARRISBURG — The Pennsylvania State Police said seven people were killed in crashes over the holiday weekend from Dec. 31 through Jan. 4. Four of the fatal crashes were alcohol related, state police said. Five of the people killed were not wearing seat belts. During last year’s five-day holiday period, eight people died in crashes, state police said.

Fire damages business

AUSTINTOWN — The cause of a blaze that did about $275,000 damage to a LeHarps Drive business remains under investigation.

Firefighters were called about 10:20 a.m. Monday to Extreme Industrial Knife where the fire started in the machine shop. No injuries were reported.