Pair charged with fleeing Youngstown police arraigned today

YOUNGSTOWN

A man and a woman were arraigned Friday in Youngstown Municipal Court after leading police on a high-speed chase throughout the city Wednesday.

Richard Ditosto, 20, of Youngstown is charged with resisting arrest, fleeing and eluding police, and failure to comply with the signal or order of a police officer. Chiana Sharpe, 23, of Columbus was arrested on a warrant for failure to appear in court on a 2006 driving under suspension charge.

Ditosto remains in the Mahoning County jail on $34,500 bond and will be back in court Feb. 28. Sharpe is free on a $5,000 bond and expected to appear in court for sentencing April 24 on the driving under suspension charge.

According to police, officers spotted Ditosto driving a Pontiac Sunfire with only one headlight shortly after 9 p.m. Wednesday on the Madison Avenue Expressway. Sharpe was a passenger in the car.

Police attempted to stop the car, but reports say Ditosto accelerated nearly causing an accident on Wick Avenue. Ditosto, reports said, continued running through intersections on the North and East sides at a high rate of speed with police close behind.

Reports say a man trying to cross the street was forced to retreat to the sidewalk to avoid the fleeing car.

For the full story, read Saturday's Vindicator or Vindy.com.