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Youngstown woman accused of dragging dog, beating neighbor
By Joe Gorman
YOUNGSTOWN
A Clarencedale Avenue woman is in the Mahoning County jail after police said she beat a neighbor Tuesday who tried to stop a dog from meeting a similar fate.
Gina Whitacre, 29, is in Mahoning County jail on a charge of domestic violence. She is expected to be arraigned in municipal court today.
Police were called about 11 a.m. to Whitacre’s home in the 200 block of Clarencedale Avenue, where reports said she told officers she wanted her children and her dogs taken from her home.
A witness who was there when police arrived said she had Whitacre’s children and one of her dogs inside her home to protect them from Whitacre, who beat the witness’ mother, reports said.
Reports said the victim told police she saw one of Whitacre’s children playing with a dog when the dog made a yelp. After the dog yelped, Whitacre came over and grabbed the dog by the ears and began dragging the dog away and threatening the dog, reports said.
The victim said she walked over and wanted to take the dog to keep it safe, and the two argued before Whitacre tackled the victim, knocked her to the ground and began choking her. Reports said the victim told Whitacre she was having a heart attack as a ruse to get Whitacre to stop choking her and Whitacre responded that she hoped the victim would die.
Eventually, Whitacre stopped choking the victim and someone called the police. The victim told police Whitacre’s three children are not cared for and have eaten tomatoes out of her garden because they are hungry, reports said.
Police learned the electric and gas were shut off in the home and when they went to check inside, they found deplorable conditions. Reports said there was also no hot water, no food and feces were in the bathtub.
The county Children Services Board was called, and the children were placed in the custody of family members, reports said. Reports did not mention if someone took care of the dog.