UPDATED: Pavlik faces Friday arraignment on three charges

Pavlik faces Friday arraignment on three charges

By JOHN W. GOODWIN JR.

jgoodwin@vindy.com

YOUNGSTOWN

Former middleweight boxing champion Kelly Pavlik faces arraignment Friday morning in Canfield Area Court on charges of OVI, failure to control and leaving the scene of an accident.

He spent a brief time in the Mahoning County jail on the three misdemeanor charges after being arrested Wednesday night at his Sugarbush Drive home in Canfield.

Police say Pavlik, 29, and a friend wrecked two ATVs on a neighboring piece of property, destroying a lamp post and causing other damage.

Reports say Pavlik smelled of alcohol and was belligerent to deputy sheriffs investigating the accident.

The incident began when a homeowner in the 3900 block of Sugarbush Drive called police to report that two men on ATVs — one ATV being red and one larger green one — had hit a lamp post and telephone pole in his yard and driven away. The homeowner identified Pavlik as one of the men.

The man told police he went outside at about 10:30 p.m. and saw Pavlik and another man on his property with the ATVs. He said both men were aggressive toward him and appeared to be drunk ,with slurred speech and a noticeable smell of alcohol.

Deputies went to Pavlik’s home and discovered a red ATV sitting in the driveway covered in fresh mud and grass. Another larger green ATV was located inside an open garage. The larger ATV had heavy front-end damage and the top of a lamp post sitting in the passenger seat.

Daniel Ferreri, a Pavlik friend, met deputies in the driveway of the home, and said he had wrecked the green ATV into a lamp post down the street from the house.

Deputies report Pavlik came out of the house as they were speaking with Ferreri and demanded that the deputies leave his property. The deputies reported that Pavlik was belligerent and continually disrupted their attempts to interview Ferreri.

Ferreri, after extensive conversation with deputies, said Pavlik was actually the driver of the green ATV involved in the accident. Ferreri was then arrested, charged with obstruction of official business. He will be arraigned in Canfield Area Court on Jan. 4.

Deputies observed Pavlik swaying side to side as he walked and noticed his speech was slurred. He was asked to submit to field sobriety tests, but refused. He was placed under arrest and taken to the Mahoning County jail.

Deputies noted that Pavlik was bleeding from a cut to the back of his head, but refused medical treatment.

The fighter was released from alcohol-abuse treatment and returned to Youngstown in January after two months of rehabilitation at the Betty Ford Center in California.

Police reports show that Pavlik was also involved in a fight with his brother Michael Pavlik in July. The two men were reportedly drinking at the time.

According to police, Kelly, after exchanging words with Michael, “punched the west-facing side door of the home and pulled his brother, Michael, out of the broken window.”

Reports say officers found broken glass and blood on nearby steps. Michael Pavlik, police said, appeared to have minor cuts to his arms and hands, but told officers at the scene that he did not need an ambulance or medical attention.

Kelly Pavlik had left the home before officers arrived and police could not contact him for questioning. Michael Pavlik reportedly told officers repeatedly he did not wish to file charges against his brother.

The fight between the brothers was witnessed by Michael’s girlfriend, who was at the home.