Metro digest || New American citizens

Four Valley residents become U.S. citizens

YOUNGSTOWN — Four people became U.S. citizens in a Thursday ceremony before Judge Maureen A. Sweeney of Mahoning County Common Pleas Court. The new citizens, their hometowns and countries of origin are: Franklin James Geordean Duguid, Berlin Center, Canada; Bridget Linton, Canfield, United Kingdom; Imen Jafar, Boardman, Tunisia; Dilan Thakor Hira, Austintown, India.

Crime Stoppers offering reward in arson case

BOARDMAN — Crime Stoppers of Greater Youngstown is offering a $2,000 cash reward for information that leads to the arrest and prosecution of the person who set fire Oct. 5 to a home at 17 Beechwood Drive. The suspect also set fire to a truck parked behind the home.

A business security camera viewed the front of the home at the time of the fire, shortly before 11 p.m. The township police and fire departments are investigating. Anyone with information about the crime should call Crime Stoppers at (330) 746-CLUE.

Crime Stoppers doesn’t require informants to give their name. To protect a caller’s identity, a code number is assigned, and if the information provided leads to the apprehension of the perpetrator, the cash reward is paid through a confidential system set up through a local bank.

Man charged in theft of steel in Salem

SALEM — Salem police have charged a man with one count of felony theft, accusing him of stealing steel from Quaker City Castings.

Detective David Talbert said Friday that he and fellow Detective Dan Green were watching the plant in response to a tip about 8:15 p.m. Wednesday.

David Kogelnik, 39, of 11610 Buffalo Road, North Lima, reportedly pulled into the company property, took steel from a rack and put it in his pickup truck, police said.

Police stopped the pickup truck on North Lincoln Avenue and arrested Kogelnik.

Talbert said that the company had told him that a total of 2,088 pounds of steel was taken, valued at $1,879. Kogelnik was released after posting bond.

Woman flees intruder by jumping out window

YOUNGSTOWN — Police are looking for the person responsible for kicking in a woman’s door, prompting her to jump from a second-story window in fear.

According to police reports, the 22-year-old East Philadelphia Avenue woman was home with her two children when a man kicked in the door just after midnight Friday, brandished a gun and said, “I’m going to kill you.”

Upon seeing the man, the woman jumped from window, fleeing for safety and leaving the two children, age 3 and 4, in the home. When police arrived at the house, they found the woman’s 21-year-old boyfriend in the home with the children.

The boyfriend told police he must have arrived at the home moments after the incident and found the children but did not see anyone else.

Mom’s friend accused of punching 2-year-old

YOUNGSTOWN — A 27-year-old city man is in Mahoning County jail, charged with assault, after police say he punched a 2-year-old child in the face.

Kenneth Menton III, 27, of Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard, appeared before Judge Robert Douglas of Youngstown Municipal Court for arraignment on assault charges. He is in jail in lieu of $25,000 bond.

According to police reports, Menton is dating the child’s mother and was involved in an argument with the 21-year-old woman Thursday.

The woman told police Menton punched the child in the face during that argument.

The child was taken to an area hospital for observation and treated.

$100,000 house fire

GIRARD — Fire of undetermined origin caused an estimated $100,000 damage Friday afternoon to a ranch-style house on Hazel Street.

The occupants weren’t home when the fire was reported at 4:41 p.m. No injuries were reported. Firefighters left the scene at 7 p.m., fire officials said.