Niles police charge four in fatal burglary

Niles police charge four in fatal burglary

Staff report

NILES

The Niles Police Department has charged four people they believe were involved in a burglary one week ago that resulted in a 36-year-old Mineral Ridge man being killed.

Scott C. Crislip, 18, of Cedar Street in Niles and Nichole R. Allen, 35, of Morris Street in Mineral Ridge turned themselves in over the past couple days and are now in the Trumbull County Jail.

Police have been unable to locate two other people — Michael S. Burns and Mindy C. Sierra of Mineral Ridge. Police issued arrest warrants for them, also charging them with burglary.

Police said the man living at 1539 Niles-Cortland Road told them he fired a shot from inside his house through his front door at 12:30 a.m. July 12 after seeing and hearing people outside of his home.

Police later found Terry D. Allen, of Morris Street in Mineral Ridge, dead just outside the front door of the house with a single gunshot wound to the torso.

Police said a side door to the house had been broken open and there was evidence that someone had started to break open the front door.

Police have not charged the homeowner, saying they believe the homeowner was reacting to a burglary in progress when he fired the fatal shot.