METRO DIGEST || Multiple charges

Multiple charges

BOARDMAN

Township police arrested Orlando J. Torres, 58, of the 4500 block of South Avenue, on charges of felony attempted murder, domestic violence, kidnapping, felonious assault and disrupting public services after he purportedly attacked his girlfriend, a 48-year-old township woman.

He was arraigned in Mahoning County Area Court in the township Tuesday morning and has a preliminary hearing at 10 a.m. Tuesday.

According to a police report, Torres beat the woman, held a pillow over her face and threatened her with a knife Monday at his apartment. He also disconnected the phone when she tried to contact police.

Man identified

YOUNGSTOWN

The Mahoning County Coroner’s Office has identified a man who was killed in an accident on the East Side about 11:15 p.m. Monday. A news release identified the man as 52-year-old Francisco Pagan of Youngstown. The release said Pagan died of blunt-force injuries to the head and chest. He was not wearing a seat belt.The accident happened on Lansdowne Boulevard as Pagan was traveling south near East High Avenue and somehow lost control and hit a utility pole. Police said speed may have been a factor in the accident.

Pagan’s death is the city’s fourth traffic fatality within the last two weeks.

Achievement award

YOUNGSTOWN

A former longtime city school board member has received a lifetime achievement award from the National School Boards Association/Council of Urban Boards of Education.

Lock P. Beachum Sr., who served four, four-year terms on the Youngstown school board and is a retired city schools principal, was presented the Benjamin Elijah Mays Lifetime Achievement Award at CUBE’s 47th Annual Conference last week in Miami.

The award is given to individuals who demonstrate a long-standing commitment to the educational needs of urban schoolchildren through school board service.

Robbery reported

WARREN

An 83-year-old Plaza Avenue Northeast man reported that someone entered his apartment Monday night while he was sleeping and took money from the pockets of the pants he had put on the bed while he slept on the floor.

The man said he sleeps on the floor because he sometimes falls out of bed.

Police will be checking with Trumbull Metropolitan Housing Authority personnel to see if they can determine whether someone accessed the man’s room around the time of the alleged robbery. The man reported the robbery at 10 p.m.

Mill Creek director

YOUNGSTOWN

The Mill Creek MetroParks Board of Commissioners discussed finding a new executive director in an executive session at a special meeting Tuesday.

The current director, Dennis Miller, announced his resignation to the board at a special meeting Sept. 29. He is leaving to be golf director at The Lake Club in Poland.

Lou Schiavoni, board president, said no decisions have been made, and the board will advertise the position and begin screening candidates. The board will consider the issue further at its regular meeting on Tuesday at the Yellow Creek Lodge in Struthers.

Miller has said he will stay on through December.

Child-porn charges

YOUNGSTOWN

A Youngstown man is facing more than 100 felony counts of pandering sexually oriented matter involving a minor after police said he downloaded and shared child pornography.

According to the report, an undercover investigator in the Youngstown Police Department’s Family Services Unit tracked the IP address of a suspect, later identified as Paul Rektor, 35, who was downloading child pornography.

The investigator logged into an undercover network, where Rektor shared child pornography downloads with the investigator.

The investigator tracked the suspect to a residence on Hollywood Avenue, which officers from Youngstown, the FBI, the state Bureau of Criminial Investigation and Mahoning Valley Violent Crimes Task Force searched.

Rektor admitted to officers he knew about the child pornography on his computers. The report says Rektor was a teacher at Youngstown Christian School until he was laid off in June.

Crash restricts I-80

LIBERTY

A tractor-trailer struck a vehicle, causing the vehicle to roll over, on Interstate 80 on Tuesday night, Vindicator news partner 21 WFMJ-TV reported.

According to the report, the Ohio State Highway Patrol was investigating the accident, which shut down the eastbound lanes of 80 near Liberty.

The accident happened at about 6 p.m., and one eastbound lane re-opened at about 9 p.m. No information about injuries was available.

Weapons taken

YOUNGSTOWN

Police reports said weapons were taken in two break-ins Monday.

At an apartment in the 2600 block of Tyrell Avenue, reports said three flat-screen televisions, $250 in cash, a 9 mm handgun and a .40-caliber handgun were taken sometime between 4:30 p.m. and 8:50 p.m. Monday.

Someone cut a screen out of a side window to get inside, reports said.

At a home in the 1500 block of Lynn Avenue, a .357 Magnum revolver and a .308 assault rifle were taken, reports said.

The owner of the home told police he had been out of town, but his girlfriend had been checking the home and Monday is when the break-in was discovered, reports said.

Reports said someone broke a window to get in.

Marijuana in car

YOUNGSTOWN

Police say they found five bags of marijuana in the car of a man who almost hit a cruiser near downtown about 9:15 p.m. Monday.

Reports said a car driven by Jawone White, 29, of Youngstown, pulled out of North Hazel Street and almost hit a police cruiser traveling on Lincoln Avenue.

The officer pulled the car over at Elm Street and Lincoln Avenue, reports said.

Reports said White told the officer he did not have a license and when asked he said he had marijuana in a book bag inside his car. The officer searched the book bag and found the marijuana inside.

White was issued citations for failure to yield right of way, driving under suspension and possession of marijuana and was released at the scene.

Taste of Comfort

YOUNGSTOWN

The Taste of Comfort event will take place at Lanterman’s Mill on from noon to 4 p.m. Sunday. Admission is $5.

This event is presented by contributors to the “Recipes of Youngstown” cookbook.

Samples of comfort food will be available as well as a basket raffle.

All proceeds from the event will benefit the preservation of Lanterman’s Mill.

The “Recipes of Youngstown” cookbook is available for sale at Lanterman’s Mill, Mill Creek MetroParks Administrative Office, Ford Nature Center and Fellows Riverside Gardens. Cookbooks are $18 each plus tax, and all proceeds benefit the preservation of the mill.

Assault charge

YOUNGSTOWN

Police arrested a man who reports said rammed his girlfriend’s car in front of the police station about 4:15 p.m. Monday.

Reports said the woman’s boyfriend, 30-year-old Tyrone Jennings of Carroll Street, followed his girlfriend down South Avenue after she picked up her child from a day-care center. Reports said the woman was on her way to the police station to file a report against Jennings because he had been threatening and following her earlier in the day.

The woman told police Jennings rammed her car on Walnut Street, then again near the Mahoning County Courthouse and a third time right in front of the police station.

Reports said the woman, her child and a friend jumped out of the car and ran inside the station at 116 W. Boardman St.

An officer found Jennings’ car on Market Street near West Boardman Street.

Jennings was arrested and taken to the county jail on a charge of felonious assault, reports said.

Boy, 14, charged with aggravated robbery

WARREN

Police arrested a 14-year-old Ogden Avenue Northwest boy, charging him with aggravated robbery after a man and woman said he and two other young males robbed them at gunpoint while they were sitting in their car at Warren G. Harding High School.

The couple said they were sitting near the Laird Avenue entrance to the school at 4:30 p.m. Monday and noticed three young males were pacing back and forth, then one of them opened the rear door to their car, put a handgun to the man’s head and robbed them of $300 in cash and ran away.

The couple followed the boys in their car toward Woodland and Logan avenues Northeast.

The victims showed Warren police officers on Logan the direction the males ran, enabling an officer to spot the 14-year-old on McKinley Street and arrest him.

The victims identified him as one of the males who robbed them.

The boy was taken to the Trumbull County Juvenile Justice Center. The two other males were not located.

Block Watch meeting

YOUNGSTOWN

The Powerstown Neighbors Block Watch will meet at 7 p.m. Thursday at Faith Community Church, 1919 Midlothian Blvd. Councilman John R. Swierz, D-7th, will attend to discuss neighborhood issues.

Basket-weaving class

MERCER, PA.

Munnell Run Farm, 753 Greenville Road, will host a class on continuous circular reed basket weaving with guest artisan Lynn Peterson from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. Oct. 18.

Guest artisan Peterson has extensive experience weaving baskets and will teach participants to weave a 7-inch tall by 10-inch across pumpkin basket during the event.

Participants are urged to bring a lunch with something to drink. All other basket materials will be provided. Cost is $20 and guests must pre-register by Friday. Space is limited. To reserve a spot, call 724-662- 2242 and ask for Jacqueline McCullough.

Opera grants

YOUNGSTOWN

Opera Western Reserve received grants from two foundations in support of its Main State production, “Don Giovanni” on Nov. 14.

The grants are: Dr. Dominic & Helen Bitonte Family Foundation, $500; and the Ralph E. & Esther K. Meacham Memorial Fund of the Community Foundation of the Mahoning Valley, $3,000.