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Man with three pending felonies now faces fourth
By Joe Gorman
YOUNGSTOWN
A man out on bail on a burglary charge and indicted by a grand jury Thursday on a robbery charge was arrested Monday by members of the police department’s vice squad on drug charges.
Frank Vetrano, 28, of Newbern Avenue, is in the Mahoning County jail on charges of possession of drugs/crack cocaine, driving under suspension, possession of drug-abuse instruments and possession of drug paraphernalia.
Vetrano was the driver of a car pulled over about 2:35 p.m. in the 1700 block of Pointview Avenue by vice squad officers working a road detail. He was taken out of the car because he does not have a valid driver’s license.
Reports said police found a bag of suspected crack cocaine in Vetrano’s sock. Inside the car, police found a crack pipe, burnt spoon and three needles.
A Mahoning County grand jury indicted Vetrano on Thursday on a felony robbery charge stemming from a June 1 arrest on Schenley Avenue in Boardman, where police said he was caught breaking into cars with a woman.
A grand jury also indicted him in March on two charges of burglary for break-ins last fall at homes in Boardman and Youngstown.
In Boardman, he is accused of breaking into a Leland Avenue home in October and taking a laptop, jewelry and other items totaling almost $2,000.
In Youngstown, he is accused of breaking into a home in the 3500 block of Kreiger Lane on Nov. 1 while the owner of the home was in the hospital.
Taken were jewelry items belonging to the husband that were gifts from his wife or children, according to statements in the case file.
Vetrano was arrested after the Ohio Bureau of Criminal Investigation was able to match fingerprints collected at the scene by personnel from the police department’s crime lab.
The city police department was informed of the match Jan. 15, according to court records.
Vetrano is expected to be arraigned in municipal court today on the cocaine charge.