Youngstown cops grab assault weapons

By Joe Gorman | February 1, 2014 at 12:00a.m.

YOUNGSTOWN

Police found several assault weapons and ammunition at a South Side home Thursday when serving a search warrant.

Members of the Vice Squad serving the warrant about 6:40 p.m. as part of an investigation into drug activity also found four bulletproof vests at the 405 W. Warren Ave. home. An infant also was in the home.

Arrested was Danielle Brooks, 21, of Tod Lane, who was taken to the Mahoning County jail on charges of drug abuse, drug paraphernalia, possession of drugs/cocaine and endangering children.

Inside the house, police found three 7.62mm assault rifles, which are commonly Eastern European or Chinese assault weapons.

Also found inside was a 9mm semiautomatic pistol and boxes filled with .40-caliber, 9mm, 762mm and 5.56mm ammunition. The latter type of ammunition often is used in assault weapons manufactured in the United States.

Also inside was a digital scale, a bag of suspected crack cocaine and three jars filled with suspected marijuana.

The infant was given to Brooks’ mother, reports said.

At another South Side home at 528 Pasadena Ave. just after 5 p.m., vice officers serving another warrant found a 9mm semiautomatic pistol loaded with 11 rounds, a shotgun and over 25 rounds of .410-gauge shotgun ammunition.

Jimmy Figueroa, 19, of Youngstown, was arrested on charges of drug abuse, drug paraphernalia and a warrant for failure to appear. Randy Thompson, 44, of Youngstown also was arrested on a charge of being a felon in illegal possession of a firearm, and Lisa Rodiguez, also of Youngstown, was arrested on an outstanding warrant.

Vice officers found slightly more than $3,000 in the home.