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Bar where homicide occurred red tagged
By Joe Gorman
YOUNGSTOWN
The bar that was the scene of the last homicide in the city was deemed unfit for occupancy Friday.
City building and fire officials agreed that the Partners Jazz and Blues Lounge, 732 Oak Hill Ave., should be “red tagged,” or deemed unfit, until certain repairs are made.
Charles Shasho, deputy director of public works, said the building has problems with the joists in the basement on the first floor, which have cracks in them, and the foundation as well.
“You can actually see daylight through the foundation,” Shasho said.
Shasho said the building is no danger of imminent collapse, but because it is a commercial building and there can be a lot of people on its first floor, which puts a strain on the joists, it is unsafe.
“It’s certainly not safe to be occupied,” Shasho said.
Shasho said the owners must get an architect or engineer and go through the city’s building-permit process to make necessary repairs so the building can be used again.
A building inspector looked the building over Thursday and decided it needed a second look, so Shasho, Fire Chief John O’Neill and other fire inspectors along with police Chief Robin Lees returned Friday and inspected it more thoroughly.
Shasho said it is common to have the fire chief or fire inspectors accompany building inspectors when they examine a commercial building.
Owners of the bar could not be reached to comment Friday.
On Feb. 7, DeJuan Thomas, 33, died at St. Elizabeth Youngstown Hospital of wounds he suffered after being shot in front of the bar about 1 a.m. A friend took Thomas to the hospital, where police were called.
Detectives said Thomas got into an argument inside the bar with another man, Earl Price, 42, and they went outside, and they say Price shot Thomas. Price was indicted by a Mahoning County grand jury on a charge of aggravated murder in Thomas’ death, but he has been on the run since the night of the shooting. Investigators said no one at the bar called 911 when the shooting took place.
On June 22, 2012, Curtis Moses, 43, the manager of the club, was shot and killed about 2:45 a.m. outside as he was walking to his car.
Lees said the fact no one called 911 the morning Thomas was killed is troubling.
“That certainly causes me concern,” Lees said.