Youngstown man charged with B&E

Staff report

YOUNGSTOWN

Police charged Charles L. Merchant, 52, of East Boston Avenue, with breaking and entering and possessing criminal tools after a neighbor reported seeing him leaving a vacant house at 866 E. Boston.

The neighbor reported hearing noises inside the South Side vacant house at 7:13 a.m. Friday and seeing someone pull a curtain off the window. The witness called police.

The witness saw a man leaving the house and watched him drop a bundle of copper wrapped in the curtain and try to flee just as police arrived.

A police officer saw Merchant standing on the sidewalk in front of an East Philadelphia Avenue house pretending to talk on a cellphone. The witness was called to the scene and identified Merchant as the thief.

Police found copper pipe, a flashlight and candle in Merchant’s pocket.

Without questioning, Merchant told police, “I didn’t break into that house. The door was open.” He added later, “I saw the police, dropped my [stuff] and ran.” He was taken to Mahoning County jail.