Arraignment planned

Arraignment planned

YOUNGSTOWN

A 28-year-old city man, who is listed as a suspect in at least one South Side arson, will be arraigned today in Youngstown Municipal Court on charges related to making false police calls and damaging a police car with his head.

Patrick Bolger, 28, of Pine Hollow Drive, was arrested early Monday morning after police say he dialed 911 saying he set his house on fire and was going to burn with the building. It was determined that the house had not been set on fire and Bolger was inside sleeping.

Police say Bolger made at least one other false call to police in the last few days. He is also charged with vandalism for repeatedly ramming his head into the seat divider in a police cruiser at the time of his arrest.

Bolger is listed as a suspect in an arson fire that destroyed a 1999 Pontiac belonging to another Pine Hollow Drive resident.

Man pleads innocent

WARREN

John M. Smith, 49, pleaded innocent Monday in Warren Municipal Court to aggravated arson and five counts of domestic violence, accused of setting fire to the house on Idylwild Street Northeast early Monday where he lived with his girlfriend and her four children.

Police said Smith set the fire at 3:36 a.m. following a domestic dispute. Smith’s girlfriend said Smith tried to hit her in the face because she dated someone while Smith was in prison, police said.

The fight between Smith and the 37-year-old woman caused her four children — age 18, 15, 13 and 11 — to come to her aid. Police said Smith assaulted the four children.

Fire Chief Ken Nussle said Smith is accused of throwing something on fire into the kitchen through a window.

The fire caused about $12,000 damage to the kitchen and porch, but no one was injured. Officers responding to the fire call found Smith hiding in the bushes along the rear property line on Idylwild.

Woman shot in head

WARREN

Pamela Dial, 43, of 1175 Parkman Road NW, was in critical condition late Monday in Cleveland MetroHealth Hospital after being shot in the head early Saturday as she slept in her home.

Police said the bullet struck her by traveling through an exterior bedroom wall and some pillows. Dial’s home is next door to a tavern, the Olympic Inn, and the gunfire hit her at 2:15 a.m., police said. Dial’s husband called 911.

The woman was taken initially by ambulance to ValleyCare Trumbull Memorial Hospital and was later transferred to the Cleveland hospital.

Multiple offenses

NILES

Patrick Weaver, 24, of Campbell, appeared Monday for hearings in Warren and Niles, charged with multiple offenses.

In Niles Municipal Court, Weaver was charged with felony robbery, felonious assault, feeling and eluding, vandalism and misdemeanor driving under suspension. Bond was set at $30,000. In Warren Municipal Court, Weaver was charged with felony failure to comply with the orders of a police officer and assault, and another $10,000 was added to his bond amount.

Weaver is accused of assaulting a 55-year-old male in a laundromat on state Route 46, and taking the other man’s car keys and pickup truck at about 1 a.m. Saturday.

A Weathersfield Township police officer saw the vehicle traveling at high speed and followed it. A Warren police officer then saw the truck on Niles Road in the city. Pursuit continued on South Street downtown and stopped near Union Street Southwest. Weaver gave himself up, but damaged the Weathersfield cruiser by kicking it — and bit Warren Police Sgt. Sherrey McMahon in the calf area of her leg.

Arraignment expected

WARREN

Two men are expected to be arraigned today in Warren Municipal Court on weapons and other charges after they were found early Sunday at 1920 South Feederle Ave. Southeast with a stun gun and pellet gun.

Officers spotted the men, ages 25 and 19, after police were called to a disturbance involving a man playing with a stun gun.

Officers saw the two at about 4 a.m. A stun gun was taken from the 19-year-old, and a pellet gun was found in a garbage can near the 25-year-old.

Police say the men also matched the description given for a robbery that had occurred earlier.