Rally planned against sex trafficking

January 10, 2012 at 12:00a.m.

warren

Mahoning Valley Organizing Collaborative will sponsor a rally to fight sex trafficking at 6:30 p.m. today at the Warren YWCA, 375 N. Park Ave.

The program will highlight proposed legislation that will affect 10 massage parlors in the city. The legislation and how it aims to prevent potential sex trafficking will be explained.

Shooting case awaits sanity evaluation

WARREN

The criminal case against Ryan C. Wrightsman, 21, of Farmdale is awaiting an evaluation to determine whether Wrightsman was sane when he purportedly shot his friend to death Nov. 1 in Vernon Township.

Judge Peter Kontos of Trumbull County Common Pleas Court approved a request last month to have Wrightsman evaluated for sanity and competency to stand trial. The court awaits those evaluations, court officials said Monday after a pretrial hearing in the case.

Wrightsman is in Trumbull County Jail in lieu of $250,000 bond in the death of Joshua Soles, 20. Police say Wrightsman and Soles were in Soles’ house on state Route 7 when Soles held a shotgun to his own head and told Wrightsman to pull the trigger, and Wrightsman did. Both men had been drinking throughout the day, police said.

Man pleads innocent

WARREN

Jameel Brown, 31, pleaded innocent Monday in Warren Municipal Court to felony failure to comply and misdemeanor reckless operation and no operator’s license after leading police on a chase at 2:35 a.m. Saturday.

Officers were called to a home on Dunstan Drive Northwest for someone breaking out car windows, observed a car leaving the area and followed it with lights and siren activated.

Brown, the driver, fled about three miles, driving through every red light and stop sign along the way and crossing left of center, police said.

He was taken into custody at the rear of the Lancer Court Apartments. If convicted of the failure to comply, Brown faces up to five years in prison.

Woman faces charges of felony assault

WARREN

Brooke Donahugh, 22, of Harvard Drive Southeast pleaded innocent Monday to two counts of felony assault. A Warren Township police officer and a Warren City police officer said she assaulted them at the Power House Bar early Saturday.

Sgt. Ed Anthony of Warren Township and Sgt. Michael Merritt of the Warren Police Department were called to the bar, 999 Mahoning Ave. NW, at 3:05 a.m. because of a fight and possible shots fired.

Anthony was talking with a woman at the front door who was trying to get into the bar and pushing him, police said.

Merritt took hold of the woman and escorted her out the door, but she assaulted Merritt, then started swinging her fists, striking Anthony, a Warren police report said.

Donahugh was arrested after being subdued with a stun gun. She also pleaded innocent to misdemeanor charges of resisting arrest and disorderly conduct. She was released after posting $5,500 bond in Warren Municipal Court.

Store robbed again

BOARDMAN

Police are investigating the second robbery at Family Dollar, 4030 Market St., to occur in the last three weeks.

A store employee told police a man came into the store about 8:20 a.m. Monday and held a gun to the back of his head, according to reports. The employee said he heard the man cock the gun before demanding the money. Police said the employee gave the man cash from the vault and the man fled south on Market Street.

A police dog was called to track the suspect, but did not detect anything.

Gas leak reported

BOARDMAN

Township firefighters were called to the scene of a gas leak Monday morning. Ohio Edison workers inadvertently ruptured a high-pressure gas line about 10:30 a.m., firefighters said. The gas was shut off and the line repaired by Dominion East Ohio, reports stated. Firefighters left the scene about an hour later.