METRO DIGEST || Pedestrian killed in Southington

Pedestrian killed

SOUTHINGTON

A pedestrian was killed on state Route 305 by a pickup truck Tuesday evening, according to the Ohio State Highway Patrol.

The accident occurred three-tenths of a mile from U.S. Route 422 between 6:30 and 7 p.m..

The person was walking westbound in the middle of the road, wearing dark clothing, when he was struck by the pickup heading in the same direction. The pickup was driven by 18-year-old Scott Williams of Southington. Police said alcohol was not a factor with the driver, but remains unclear with the pedestrian, whom police were trying to identify.

Child endangerment

WARREN

Trumbull County Children Services was planning to open a case regarding a 27-year-old father and 22-year-old mother whom police found smoking marijuana in front of their 1-year-old son Monday night.

Police received an anonymous tip at 8 p.m. that the couple was smoking in front of the child at an apartment on Hazelwood Avenue Southeast. When the officer arrived, he observed the child’s father holding the boy and a hand-rolled cigarette in his hand and advised them that smoking marijuana in front of a child is child endangerment.

No charges were filed, but the father and two others were placed on the Trumbull Metropolitan Housing Authority trespass list because of their suspected illegal activities and not living there.

3 kids home alone

CAMPBELL

A Campbell woman has pleaded not guilty to child-endangerment charges after police found her three young children home alone with a gas stove on.

According to 21 WFMJ-TV, The Vindicator’s broadcast partner, Keri Jackson appeared in Campbell Municipal Court on Tuesday to answer to the charges that the kids, all under the age of 5, were left alone with gas stove burners lit for heat.

Police were called to the home on Coitsville Road on Saturday after a worried neighbor reported that Jackson was supposed to come to her home, but had not shown up and no one could contact her.

Officers could hear the children crying when they arrived at Jackson’s home. Jackson’s next court appearance is set for April.

Released from jail

WARREN

Sean King, 27, of Fourth Street Southwest was released from the Trumbull County jail after posting $7,000 bond Tuesday after being arraigned on two felony drug-possession charges.

Police arrested him after a traffic stop. An officer said he was driving behind the car on Washington Street Northeast and could smell “a strong odor of marijuana” coming from the vehicle. The driver admitted to smoking marijuana, but police did not charge him because none was found in the vehicle, but they found suspected crack cocaine and suspected heroin on King, the passenger, and took him into custody.

Kick thwarts robber

WARREN

A 19-year-old employee of Vapor Express, an e-cigarette store on East Market Street, said she kicked a would-be robber in the groin at 8 p.m. Monday, causing him to back away as she locked the door. The woman said she unlocked the front door for what she thought was a customer, but the man said, “Gimme all your money.” The woman “gave him a swift kick to the groin” for her safety, causing him to back up and letting her lock the door, police said. The store has three surveillance cameras, the store owner said.

Felony charge of DUI

NEWTON falls

Will E. Rulong, 44, of North Leavitt Road, Leavittsburg, is free on bond after being arraigned Monday in Newton Falls Municipal Court on a felony charge of driving under the influence. Police say he has eight previous DUI offenses. Rulong was charged Saturday at the intersection of River Road and East Broad Street, where he was involved in a car accident. He pleaded not guilty to traffic citations of failure to control and a stop-sign violation.

Apartment fire

BOARDMAN

A family made it out of their township apartment safely after a fire started in the basement early Tuesday, according to The Vindicator’s broadcast partner, 21 WFMJ-TV.

Township firefighters responded to DNM Autos on the corner of Market Street and Gertrude Avenue, at about 4:15 a.m. The building contains the car dealership as well as the second-floor apartment. Loss is estimated at $70,000. No injuries were reported. The cause of the blaze is under investigation.

Robbed of cellphone

WARREN

A 21-year-old city woman reported being robbed of her cellphone by two men holding a pump shotgun behind the apartments at 1060 Harvard Ave. SE off North Road at 10:30 p.m. Monday. She had dropped someone off at the apartments and was leaving when the men opened two car doors and demanded money.