Metro digest || Man burned by wire

Man burned by wire

niles

Police are investigating an incident involving an attempted copper theft that ended with a man severely burned. Police said Eric Robertson, 25, of Fulton Avenue, broke into the Niles Light Department electric substation early Monday.

Robertson’s cousin, who was with him at the time, told police Robertson used bolt cutters to cut copper ground wires and made contact with a hot wire. He was taken to Akron Children’s Hospital Burn Center. A nursing supervisor said no information was available on his condition Tuesday night.

Rapist sentenced

WARREN

Donald J. Crites, 25, of Sheridan Avenue, Niles, has been sentenced to 10 years to life in prison for raping a 12-year-old girl seven times between September and December 2009.

Jury selection began Monday in Trumbull County Common Pleas Court for a trial on the charges, but Crites decided Tuesday to plead guilty to all seven counts of rape.

His sentence was handed down by Judge Peter Kontos, who was presiding over the trial.

Sexual imposition

WARREN

Ronald Hall, 47, of Wood Street, pleaded not guilty Tuesday to a felony charge of gross sexual imposition and misdemeanors of obstructing official business and resisting arrest.

Hall entered his pleas in Warren Municipal Court after a complaint from a 19-year-old woman that he groped her.

Two Warren officers were in the area of First Street Southwest at about 11:15 p.m. Monday when they noticed a young woman crying. The girl said her uncle’s friend had grabbed her in her private areas in his house earlier.

When officers found the man, later identified as Hall, near his home and questioned him, Hall ran through a field at Wood and Second Street. The two officers caught up with Hall behind an abandoned building. They used pepper spray and a stun gun to bring Hall under control and punched him twice in the shoulder in order to handcuff him.

Accident closes road

BELOIT

A commercial vehicle rolled onto its side in an accident that shut down part of state Route 165 for several hours Tuesday afternoon.

The truck, driven by Norman Morehead, 44, of West Virginia was traveling on state Route 14 and went off the right side of the road and into a ditch. It rolled onto its side at 11:49 a.m., according to the Ohio State Highway Patrol.

The truck was removed, and no cargo spilled, the report stated.

The road was closed for several hours between state Route 14 and Secrest Road near Beloit, said an Ohio Department of Transportation spokesman.

The road reopened at 3:43 p.m., and no one was injured, the patrol said.

Route 11 resurfacing

LISBON

The Ohio Department of Transportation has announced that resurfacing work on state Route 11 will begin Monday in Columbiana County. Almost five miles of Route 11 will be resurfaced from just north of the intersection with U.S. Route 30 and state Route 45 interchange to about a half-mile north of the state Route 154 interchange.

One lane of traffic will be maintained in each direction.

ODOT’s contractor for the $1.8 million project is Central-Allied Enterprises Inc. in Canton. The completion date is Sept. 30.

Church choir in park

EAST PALESTINE

The Nazarene Church choir, the Naz Worship Team, will perform in City Park at 7 p.m. Friday.

Refreshments will be available.