Men with guns, mask and gloves arrested in car

YOUNGSTOWN — Police do not know where three men arrested Sunday were headed, but they do know the men were carrying three loaded handguns, a black mask and gloves.

Brandon Williams, 18, of Ferndale, Brandon Thomas, 19, of Lemans Drive, and Darrell Mason Jr., 19, of Ferndale and Parkcliffe streets were arraigned before Youngstown Municipal Court Judge Robert P. Milich Monday and are being held in the Mahoning County Jail in lieu of bond.

Williams’ bond is set at $25,000. Mason’s bond is set at $15,000 and Thomas’ bond is $27,500, including $2,500 for a misdemeanor traffic violation.

Officers spotted a car driven by Thomas traveling on the south side at high speed. Officers pulled the car over on Woodford Avenue at the intersection of Colfax Street and, according to reports, could see the men passing what appeared to be handguns to a front seat passenger.

Officers, with guns drawn, ordered the men to turn the car off and raise their hands, but a rear passenger, later determined to be Williams, kept moving something on the floor of the car.

Reports say a police dog was called to search the car and officers found marijuana seeds and stems around the floorboard of the car. A gun holster was found in the backseat.

In the glove box, officers found three handguns, one of which had a serial number that had been “tampered with” at some point. In Williams’ pockets, reports said, officers found the mask, gloves and a cell phone with a screen saver of one of the guns found in the glove box.

Reports say Thomas admitted “the one gun” was his, but said he did not want to be charged with everything.

Prosecutors told the court that Thomas and Mason did not have any past criminal history, but Williams has a history of several crimes as a juvenile.