Woman removed from decrepit South Side house

YOUNGSTOWN — Police reports say an elderly woman was taken from a decrepit South Side home early Tuesday afternoon.

Officers were called to the home in the 1100 block of Hillman Avenue, which reports said was the old Willie Mae’s Soul Kitchen, just after noon to check on the welfare of an elderly woman who lived in the home, reports said. When police arrived, a man refused to open the door and said police could talk to her through the door, reports said.

The house had several broken windows and other problems so a city housing inspector was called to look at it, reports said.

Police ended up calling the fire department to force the door open and found four large dogs inside, three of which were chained in the downstairs, reports said.

Police had to walk through a path of debris to find the woman, whose bed consisted of a mattress perched atop several milk crates, reports said.

The dog warden was called and the animals were taken to Animal Charity, where they will be examined and then placed up for adoption, reports said.

The woman was taken to a hospital to be examined, reports said.

The housing inspector deemed the home unfit for habitation until repairs could be made to make it livable again, reports said.

Police arrested the man who refused to open the door, Aaron McGilvary, 50, on a charge of obstruction of justice and took him to the Mahoning County jail, where jail records show he was later released on a summons to appear in municipal court.