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Woman drugged, duct-taped in Youngstown home invasion
YOUNGSTOWN
City police are investigating three separate home invasions, with thieves searching for cash in two instances and a third instance where a man drugged and duct-taped a woman to keep her from testifying in court.
Police found the 37-year-old South Side woman just after 10:30 p.m. Thursday lying on her side in her home, appearing weak and drowsy with visible signs of duct-tape residue around her wrists.
The woman told police she was attempting early Thursday to contact a police officer familiar with an ongoing complaint she has against a former boyfriend.
Reports say the woman has a restraining order against the 32-year-old man and was scheduled to be in Mahoning County Common Pleas Court on Thursday morning.
The woman told officers the former boyfriend came into her home as she was attempting to contact the police officer and said his case would be dropped if she did not make it to court. She said the man took a white pill out of his pocket and shoved it in her mouth, then made her drink water and swallow the pill.
The man also put duct tape around her wrists and over her mouth. The man, she told police, said her mouth would have to be duct-taped because she would not stop screaming for help.
The woman said she is not sure what type of pill she was given, but she fell asleep for several hours. She said she managed to free herself from the duct tape and call police when she woke up.
Police did not see duct- tape residue around the woman’s mouth, but took photographs of all of her injuries. The tape used to bound her wrists was collected as evidence.
Police contacted court victim witness representatives about the situation. The former boyfriend could be charged with aggravated burglary, abduction and violating a protection order when he is arrested.
A 67-year-old South Side man told police he was robbed of $1,000 at knife point in his home late Thursday.
According to reports, the man was entertaining a 26-year-old female friend in his home just before 11 p.m. The man told police his friend left the home and two men came into the house carrying knives. He handed over the money from a check he recently cashed and the men ran off.
A 34-year-old North Side man told police he was shot at in his home by would-be thieves about 9 p.m. Thursday.
The man said he was sitting on the porch of his Imperial Avenue home when two men walked up to him, one carrying a gun, and demanded he go inside and get money.
The man told police he went into the house with the armed men, but ran toward a flight of stairs hollering for someone to “load the guns.”
The man said he heard a shot fired as he ran.
Police found a bullet hole in a wall at the top of the stairs.