Three people charged after confrontation at Liberty apartment complex

Staff report

GIRARD

Two Boardman residents and one from Youngstown were arraigned Thursday in Girard Municipal Court on gun and menacing charges related to an incident Wednesday night at the Oak Tree Apartments on Trumbull Court in Liberty.

Police arrested Chauncey T. Higgs, 24, of Burlington Street in Youngstown, Jujuan L. Pinkard, 21, of Locust Avenue in Boardman, and Shaylyn N. Hawthorne, 19, of Boardman-Canfield Road, Boardman, after finding a sawed-off shotgun in the trunk of the car they used to drive to the apartments.

Police were called there at 7:37 p.m. regarding people with guns who had come to the apartment building.

Police arrested the three without incident. Higgs told police Pinkard and Hawthorne picked him up in downtown Youngstown and brought him to the apartments.

He said Pinkard wanted to take the loaded shotgun into the apartments, but he talked Pinkard out of it.

All three were charged with felony unlawful possession of a dangerous ordnance and misdemeanor aggravated menacing and improper handling of firearms in a motor vehicle.

Higgs also faces a felony charge of being a felon in possession of a firearm.

Judge Jeffrey Adler of Girard Municipal Court set bond at $25,000 for Higgs, $15,000 for Pinkard and $7,500 for Hawthorne. Each pleaded not guilty to the misdemeanor charges. No pleas were entered on the felonies.