Man runs from cops, tricks way into South Side home

Staff report

YOUNGSTOWN

Police say a man running from a traffic stop Monday afternoon tricked a 6-year-old into letting him into a house, then begged for someone to give him a shirt before he was caught by police.

Brian Benson, 25, of East Avondale Avenue, is in the Mahoning County jail on charges of driving under suspension, burglary, resisting arrest, possession of drugs/marijuana and obstructing official business.

Reports said police tried to pull over a car Benson was driving about 1:10 p.m. on East Dewey Avenue for running a stop sign.

When two members of the Community Police Unit, Phil Skowron and Jose Morales Jr., tried to pull the car over, Benson pulled into a nearby driveway, jumped out and took off running.

As the man ran, officers Dave Wilson and James Cline saw a man fitting Benson’s description but without a shirt try to get into a house in the 800 block of Cameron Avenue. Reports said when Benson spotted the other two officers, he dropped a bag of suspected marijuana he was carrying and tried to run away but was caught.

He struggled with officers before he could be handcuffed, reports said.

The homeowner told police Benson was knocking on the door when her son answered. When her son cracked the door open, Benson burst in the house and asked if he could buy a shirt, reports said.

Benson told the homeowner he had just run from police and pleaded to buy a shirt. But the woman told the man to leave and he did, which is when police spotted him.

Police found $1,365 in cash in Benson’s pockets when he was searched, reports said.

Benson is expected to be arraigned in municipal court today.