METRO DIGEST || Boardman man outsmarts scammer

Man evades scam

BOARDMAN

A 78-year-old township man alerted police earlier this week to a telephone scam in which he almost lost thousands of dollars.

The victim told police that he got a call Tuesday night from a man who claimed to be a public defender for the victim’s grandson. The caller told the victim he needed to send $4,500 to post bail for his grandson, who he said was in jail. He told the victim to pay via prepaid debit cards. Another person on the call claimed to be the victim’s grandson.

The victim avoided the scam when he contacted family members to confirm his grandson was not in jail.

Boardman house fire

BOARDMAN

No one was hurt in a house fire at 7 p.m. Thursday at 37 Indianola Road, the Boardman Fire Department reported.

Family members were home and called 911 at the time of the blaze, which started in the basement and spread to the first floor.

The fire department is still investigating the cause.

Steroid sentence

WARREN

Randy McCale, 46, of Neil Street in Niles, was sentenced to five years’ probation Wednesday for helping a Bazetta Township man sell millions of dollars’ worth of illegal steroids across the United States.

McCale pleaded guilty earlier before Judge Ronald Rice of Trumbull County Common Pleas Court to five counts of identity fraud. Prosecutors say he accessed personal information regarding former customers of Global Fitness on Elm Road so PayPal accounts could be created in their names.

Those identities were used to purchase steroids that he and Joseph Stiver, 23, of Bazetta sold over the Internet. McCale was working at Global Fitness at the time of the crimes.

Stiver was sentenced to one year in prison in October for being the primary operator of the enterprise.

Passed out in car

YOUNGSTOWN

A 67-year-old city man was cited for obstructing justice and other charges after reports said he was found passed out in a car at a 4040 Youngstown-Poland Road check-cashing business about 1:55 p.m. Wednesday.

Police were called and found Casimir Fijas inside. Reports said Fijas had a strong odor of alcohol on him.

Fijas said he was not driving and threw his keys on the dashboard. Officers also saw an open container of malt liquor and a large knife inside the car, reports said.

Reports said Fijas refused to get out of the car, give his name and birth date and take a field sobriety test. He was removed from the car and cited for obstruction of justice, open container of alcohol in a motor vehicle and physical control of a vehicle while under the influence.

Girlfriend assault

BOARDMAN

A township woman faces misdemeanor charges of assault and aggravated menacing and a felony charge of retaliation after police arrested her on a warrant Wednesday.

Police say that Vanessa Williams, 27, of Clifton Drive, assaulted her brother’s girlfriend after the girlfriend reported a domestic-violence incident.

Leslie Williams III, 25, of Melrose Avenue, is facing charges of domestic violence and operating a motor vehicle while impaired after he was arrested in January.

The victim reported to police that Vanessa and another relative came to her home after Leslie’s arrest and attacked her.

Vanessa Williams was free on bond pending an appearance in Mahoning County Area Court here.

Paradise Inn closure

WARREN

The Paradise Inn, a North Park Avenue tavern where four young Warren men were seriously injured in a fight early Saturday, has closed to work on improving safety, said Safety-Service Director Enzo Cantalamessa.

City officials met with the tavern’s manager and liquor-license holder Tuesday and discussed Saturday’s incident and others. Tavern personnel were open to making changes to improve safety, Cantalamessa said.

The tavern will present the city with a plan to address security, lighting and other issues, he said. The Paradise has had an unusually large number of calls for service from police, Cantalamessa said.

Donating police car

BAZETTA

Mark Thomas Ford Inc. of Elm Road in Bazetta Township is donating a 2015 Ford Police Utility Vehicle to Bazetta Police Department.

Police Chief Michael Hovis said the department purchased one of the specially equipped Ford Explorers last year and is buying a second one this year.

But Mark Thomas Ford owners Thomas Levak Sr. and Thomas Levak Jr. contacted Hovis recently to tell him the dealership was going to give the department another one for free. The price for the one the department is buying is $26,554.

Both new vehicles have arrived at the dealership, and will be ready to hit the road for patrol duties within about a month, Hovis said.