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Worse charges emerge after arrest in theftSFlb
YOUNGSTOWN
Police arrested a Youngstown man in the theft of copper pipes Tuesday but soon realized he is accused of committing considerably more serious and more violent crimes.
Brandon Johnson, 18, of Myrtle Avenue, is being held in the Mahoning County jail on a $300,000 bond. He was arraigned before Judge Elizabeth Kobly of Youngstown Municipal Court on Wednesday on felony charges of breaking and entering, aggravated arson, aggravated burglary and felonious assault.
Johnson is scheduled to be back in court Nov. 10 for a preliminary hearing.
Johnson was arrested Tuesday on South Lakeview Avenue after police say a resident of that street saw him come from behind her vacant home carrying copper pipes wrapped in a blanket. The woman questioned Johnson, leading to an argument among Johnson, his two juvenile companions and the woman.
Johnson and the juveniles tried to flee the area when police arrived but were taken into custody. They each were charged with breaking and entering in the theft of the pipes, but Johnson also had outstanding warrants.
According to police, Johnson, along with two other men, went into a Selma Avenue home Oct. 8 and assaulted a 23-year-old man living at the residence. The victim told police the assault took place because he would not allow Johnson to move into his home.
The victim told police he answered the door to his home just after 2 a.m. and was “jumped” by three men including Johnson. The man told police he was tied up, beaten, made to drink Listerine, made to eat salt, pelted with fluorescent light bulbs, choked and hit with a mirror.
Reports say the men also shaved the victim’s hair and then sprayed cologne on him and tried to set the sprayed cologne on fire.
The victim escaped through a basement door when the men left him alone to retrieve a firearm. He ran to a nearby house and called police.
Police converged on the man’s house to find flames and smoke coming from the basement but all three attackers gone. The Youngstown Fire Department extinguished the flames without further injury to anyone.