Authorities seek ID of First Place Bank robber

January 21, 2009 at 12:00a.m.

LIBERTY — A man robbed the First Place Bank office, 4682 Belmont Ave., at 2:40 p.m. Tuesday and escaped on foot with an undisclosed amount of money.

The FBI and township police said the thief did not display a weapon during the robbery, and no injuries were reported.

Police said the robber was described by witnesses as a white male possibly in his 20s, clean-shaven, between 6 feet and 6 feet 2 inches, and weighing between 195 and 210 pounds.

Authorities ask anyone who has information about the robbery, including recognizing the individual, or anyone who saw anything in the area of the bank and Giant Eagle to contact the Liberty Police Department Detective Division at (330) 539-9848.

Police recover purses stolen at gunpoint

YOUNGSTOWN — Four teenage boys in black hoodies and armed with handguns robbed two women of their purses outside a bar in the 3000 block of South Avenue, police said.

Three women who left the bar around 8:40 p.m. Monday told police the guns were put to their heads as they were getting into their Jeep and one of the suspects yelled, “Give us your money.”

Two of the women handed over their purses; the third woman had no purse.

The suspects ran north and then toward West Boston Avenue. Police found the purses, with some items missing, behind a house in the 300 block of East Lucius Avenue.

Police who followed footprints in the snow said the prints ended in the 300 block of East Auburndale Avenue.

Iraq tour to end

VIENNA — Some 13 members of the 910th Airlift Wing’s Security Forces Squadron are scheduled to return home to the Youngstown Air Reserve Station on Thursday afternoon after a six-month tour of duty in Iraq.

This last returning group of Security Forces Squadron members served in security-related duties at Kirkuk Air Base in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom.

Lanes restricted for pothole patching

YOUNGSTOWN — Interstate 680 between Glenwood Avenue and Midlothian Boulevard on the city’s South Side will have various lane restrictions in either or both directions today through Friday.

These restrictions will occur from 9 a.m. until 3 p.m. during those days while Ohio Department of Transportation workers perform pothole patching.