Grand jury indicts 2 women in Canfield prostitution operation

Staff report

YOUNGSTOWN

A Mahoning County grand jury indicted two women arrested in Canfield last month on prostitution charges.

Shanika Simmons, 31, of Fifth Avenue, and Leah C. Petruzzi, 34, of Hood Drive in Canfield, were indicted Thursday on charges of promoting prostitution, a fourth-degree felony, and soliciting prostitution, a third-degree misdemeanor.

The two were arrested Oct. 3 after a traffic stop in Canfield. Police said they made a minor drug arrest from someone who left Petruzzi’s home. Police also had received complaints of unusual activity at the home.

When they did some investigating, they found out that Petruzzi and Simmons both were arrested Oct. 1 as part of a prostitution sting in Liberty. They then found an online ad that advertised prostitution services at a Canfield address. When they called a phone number associated with the ad, they confirmed it.

The grand jury also indicted Keith Sims, 25, of Ford Avenue, on two counts of murder and felonious assault with a firearm specification in the Oct. 25 shooting death of 23-year-old Shaniece Wells of Maplewood Court.

Wells was shot to death late Oct. 25 at a South Side home in the 800 block of East Boston Avenue.

Read more about the cases in Friday's Vindicator or on Vindy.com.