Pizza shop thief charged with two other thefts

Staff report

BOARDMAN

A man accused of robbing a pizza shop and then crashing into a pole after a police chase is also charged with two retail thefts in Boardman.

Matthew Koziorynsky, 18, of Cook Avenue in Boardman is accused of taking a DVD player and a vacuum cleaner from Walmart on Oct. 30. He also is accused of taking a baby stroller from Babies “R” Us on Oct. 29.

As of Thursday, he had not been arraigned on either charge in Mahoning County Court in Boardman.

Loss prevention called police to Walmart on Oct. 30 after a man took a $78 DVD player and $49.96 vacuum cleaner. The man attempted to flee by car, but the Dodge Neon would not start. He was then seen fleeing the parking lot on foot. He left behind the items and his jacket, which had the keys to the car in the pocket, according to a police report.

A Babies “R” Us employee called police to report the stolen $40 stroller after a man walked out of the store with the item in his jacket. Surveillance cameras caught the incident.

Koziorynsky was charged with both thefts Wednesday after his arrest Tuesday in the robbery of a pizza shop and fleeing from police. On Tuesday, he was freed from a blue Ford Ranger after he crashed into a utility pole on Market Street while Youngstown police chased him.

He is accused of robbing Marco’s Pizza on Midlothian Boulevard of $525. A city police officer spotted the Ford Ranger and attempted to stop him on Midlothian going toward Market Street.

Police say he fled, so they gave chase. The high-speed chase ended when Koziorynsky hit the pole. Koziorynsky suffered a broken foot.

He is charged with robbery and fleeing from police.

He is Mahoning County jail on a $100,000 cash or surety bond for the robbery charge and a $75,000 cash or surety bond for the fleeing charge. He will be in court again on those charges at 10 a.m. Thursday.

Court records also show Koziorynsky with charges from the Beaver Township Police Department for abusing harmful intoxicants and passing bad checks. On April 24, he pleaded no contest to the abusing harmful intoxicants.

He was found guilty and fined $1,000, with $850 suspended, according to court records.

He also pleaded no contest for passing bad checks and was found guilty and also had to pay a fine.

Court records show he also must appear for a probation violation Jan. 7.