Facebook post helps with suspect’s capture

Facebook post helps with suspect’s capture

STRUTHERS

The Struthers Police Department started its Facebook page last year simply to keep residents up to date about their city — but didn’t anticipate that it also would help the department catch wanted suspects.

On Monday, police caught Paul Taylor in Windham Township. Taylor, 34, is charged with five counts of rape and two counts of gross sexual imposition of juveniles under 13 years of age.

Detective Jeff Lewis said his arrest directly resulted from a “wanted poster” of Taylor that had been posted on the department’s Facebook page. As of Tuesday, it had been viewed by almost 282,000 people and shared more than 9,000 times.

“The Facebook post was a huge help,” Lewis said. “Facebook has helped us find several people. We get a lot of tips over there.”

Man faces 5 charges

BOARDMAN

Boardman police served a warrant Tuesday and arrested a Youngstown man on five charges.

Victor G. Ramos Jr., 27, of Lowell Avenue, was arrested on two counts of domestic violence, one count of assault, aggravated menacing and violating a protection order, according to a report. He is in the Mahoning County jail without bond.

A warrant for his arrest was made shortly after an incident Monday evening where Ramos reportedly punched his wife’s male friend twice at her Lemans Drive apartment after he explained that he wanted to talk about their breakup. Ramos left the scene before police got there.

Liberty trustees

Liberty

Liberty Township trustees will have a special meeting at 11 a.m. today in the township administration building, 1315 Church Hill-Hubbard Road. The passing of a resolution for the Trumbull County Land Reutilization Corp.’s Moving Ohio Forward Grant Program for the removal of the Barkley Square apartments on Naylor Lloyd Road will be discussed.

The meeting may adjourn to executive session to discuss the hiring of personnel in the road department.

Vacant-house fire

NILES

A vacant house at 320 E. Park Ave. was a total loss from a 1:59 a.m. Tuesday fire, and heat damage spread to another vacant house on one side and a former church that now serves as office space on the other side.

The house at 316 E. Park sustained significant heat damage, as did the office space at 326 E. Park, said Lt. Mike Hudzik of the Niles Fire Department.

The house at 320 was fully involved when firefighters arrived and burned to the foundation, Hudzik said.

No one was inside any of the three structures, and there were no injuries. No cause has yet been determined, and no estimate of damage was available late Tuesday.

Couple, pets escape fire

GREEN

A couple and several pets escaped a fire at their Green Township home just after 4:20 a.m. Tuesday.

Green Township firefighters were dispatched to 122611 Youngstown-Salem Road and were assisted by Damascus, Salem and Perry township.

The couple’s attic caught fire, said Todd Baird, Green fire chief. The cause, he added, is undetermined.

The couple was alerted by their smoke detectors and managed to get down to their living area before getting out of the home with their two dogs, cat and bird. Another cat did not survive, Baird said.

Damage has been estimated at about $60,000, Baird said.