Man charged with robberies at 2 businesses

The man was arrested after a traffic stop.

BOARDMAN — A Youngstown man charged with the weekend robberies of two township businesses is behind bars.

Township police arrested Erik Morales, 19, around 7:15 p.m. Tuesday on Shirley Road at Interstate 680 in the city after a traffic stop, said Sgt. Glen Riddle.

Morales is charged with two counts of aggravated robbery and one count of kidnapping. He is lodged in the Mahoning County jail and is expected to appear Thursday in Mahoning County Court here.

A confidential informant led police to Morales, and warrants were issued.

Police watched Morales leave a South Side Youngstown business, followed him and made the stop.

Morales is charged in the Saturday evening robbery of Dollar General on Midlothian Boulevard. He told police he fired a gun there, but officers did not find a bullet.

Morales is also charged in the Sunday morning robbery at Shell North on Market Street at Indianola Road.

In that crime, he is accused of ordering a female employee into a back room and locking the door, keeping her there for about 10 minutes. That resulted in the kidnapping charge.

Morales also reportedly told the woman that he was going to take her with him when he left the business but did not, the sergeant said.