Man sentenced for burglary, kidnapping

Staff report

WARREN

John A. Thompson, 40, of Mecca Township and Warren, received a 20-year prison term Monday for breaking into a house on North Park Avenue in Warren Township with a crowbar last June and ordering the homeowner to help him collect her valuables.

But while walking through the home with Thompson, the woman made a covert 911 call and hung up, causing the police to arrive to check things out.

When a Warren Township police officer knocked on the door, the woman came quickly down the stairs and pointed to Thompson, saying, “This guy is robbing me.”

There was a struggle between Thompson and the officer, causing Thompson’s mask to come part way off.

Thompson then ran into the woods, where a Warren police officer and his dog eventually captured him.

A jury found Thompson guilty of aggravated burglary and kidnapping at the end of a three-day trial last month before Judge Peter Kontos of Trumbull County Common Pleas Court, who sentenced Thompson.