METRO DIGEST || Man charged with animal cruelty, growing weed

Animal cruelty, pot

YOUNGSTOWN

Police found 11 marijuana plants Monday growing in the basement of a home in the 1300 block of Humbolt Avenue while assisting the county dog warden on an animal call. Reports said the warden was at the home about 2:25 p.m. for a complaint of dogs running loose and asked police for help getting inside.

Police arrived and found two bags of marijuana and a scale inside by one of the doors. Officers announced several times they were there to get the dog, and when no one answered, they went inside.

In the basement, they found the plants and a watering system, along with a lamp and the pit bull. The basement floor was covered in dog feces, reports said. The owner of the home, William Pachell, 37, returned while police were there, and he was cited on marijuana and animal-cruelty charges. Animal Charity took possession of the dog, reports said.

Howl-O-Ween event

BOARDMAN

Boardman Park and Animal Charity will host the “Howl-O-Ween Canine Carnival” from 12 to 4 p.m. Sunday, at Masters Pavilion and Lariccia Bocce Court.

Activities include a dog costume contest, 4-H agility demonstrations, an appearance by the Boardman police dog unit, presentations by local veterinarians and more. Local dog-rescue groups also will be represented.

Food concessions will be available.

Proceeds from the event will benefit Animal Charity and Marge Hartman’s Paws Town at Boardman Park.

Attack reported

YOUNGSTOWN

Reports said a North Side woman’s home was attacked Monday morning by an ex-boyfriend and his girlfriend twice. Reports said the 41-year-old victim had to be taken to St. Elizabeth Youngstown Hospital for treatment of her injuries after the second attack, which happened about 2:50 a.m. at a home in the 900 block of Bonnie Brae.

The first time police were at the home, they found a computer and a 72-inch television smashed, and the victim and a man who lived in the house both had cuts and bruises, but refused treatment. The victim said the two suspects began beating her after the door was kicked in, and when the man tried to intervene, he was hit in the face with a pistol by the male suspect, who also fired two shots but missed. The male suspect ran out of the house and the man ran after him, while the female suspect came back with a gun and smashed the electronics before running away, reports say.

Police found a spent .22-caliber shell casing inside the home. After police left, the home was attacked again, and the victim was thrown to the ground and kicked several times before the two suspects left, reports said.

Domestic violence

CAMPBELL

Two people were arraigned Tuesday in Campbell Municipal Court on domestic-violence charges after two separate incidents Monday night.

Police arrested Tyjuan Daltorio, 23, of Campbell after a 21-year-old woman told police he had choked her and thrown her around at a 13th Street home. Daltorio will face a preliminary hearing Friday.

In a separate case, police arrested Mel’Quan Patton, 23, of Campbell after he reportedly struck a 26-year-old woman in the face, choked her, knocked her to the ground and repeatedly kicked her in the head at a Bright Avenue home. A police report notes that the back of the woman’s head was cut open. She was transported to a hospital, the report states.

Officers moved Patton from the Campbell jail to the Mahoning County jail after Patton was “verbally combative,” spat inside a patrol car and later kicked at the door of his holding room, the report states. Patton will face a preliminary hearing Friday.

DUI on Belmont

GIRARD

A Warren woman was arraigned Tuesday in Girard Municipal Court after being pulled over with a blood-alcohol content more than 21/2 times the legal limit, according to police. Liberty police stopped Heather Bucy, 42, on Friday near Belmont Avenue.

A police report states that Bucy drove outside of marked lanes and that she failed a series of sobriety tests after being pulled over. Bucy had two nearly empty bottles of wine in her car and registered a 0.226 blood alcohol content, the report states. The legal limit in Ohio is 0.08.

Bucy faces misdemeanor charges for driving under the influence, violating open container law, driving outside of marked lanes and failure to wear a seat belt.

Equipment stolen

AUSTINTOWN

Bill’s Sales and Service, 5421 Mahoning Ave., representatives told Austintown police Monday morning that 39 pieces of equipment were taken from the business between 8 p.m. Sunday and 8:33 a.m. Monday, when it was discovered.

All of that stolen equipment totaled $15,962.88, and between $80 and $100 was taken from the cash register. Store officials found a large rock laying on the floor inside the business that was used to shatter the northeast door to the business, a police report said.

Limb-salvage grant

AKRON

Scientists from the University of Akron, Houston Methodist Research Institute and Texas A&M University will receive $6 million from the U.S. Army Medical Research and Materials Command to advance their work in a limb-salvage technique, U.S. Rep. Tim Ryan of Howland, D-13th, announced.

Soldiers wounded by gunshots and improvised explosive devices soon may be treated with the procedure. The surgery involves a cylinder-shaped polymeric shell that stabilizes the site of injury while the missing bone regenerates.

The work “will one day help our returning wounded warriors receive innovative limb-saving procedures,” Ryan said in a news release. “This treatment will change the lives of thousands of Americans who selflessly put themselves in harm’s way in service to our nation.”

Library book sale

HUBBARD

On Saturday, patrons will have the opportunity to take home all the books they can stuff into a bag in exchange for just $2.

Hubbard Friends of the Library will host the annual “mega sale” at the library at 436 West Liberty St. from today to Saturday. Saturday is “$2 a bag day.” Sale hours today and Thursday are 9 a.m. to 7:45 p.m., and Friday and Saturday hours are 9 a.m. to 4:45 p.m.

The sale offers gently used books along with other items, including CDs, videos and vinyl records. Proceeds will benefit the Hubbard Public Library.

Boyfriend stabbed

BOARDMAN

A township woman was in the Mahoning County jail Tuesday, accused of stabbing her boyfriend.

Danielle Wilson, 38, of Lemans Drive, is charged with felonious assault and domestic violence.

Police were dispatched to the Lemans Drive apartment Monday night after Wilson called 911 saying she had stabbed her boyfriend, according to a police report.

Police located the victim, who at first tried to deny that Wilson had stabbed him, outside of an Aravesta Avenue residence. They reportedly observed wounds on his arms and a “large stab wound” on his chest.

The victim was taken to St. Elizabeth Youngstown Hospital, where he was in stable condition shortly after the incident, according to police.

Wilson is scheduled to appear in Mahoning County Area Court here Tuesday.

Spaghetti dinner

YOUNGSTOWN

Solace of the Valley, a local organization dedicated to issues related to drug addiction, will host a spaghetti dinner fundraiser from noon to 6 p.m. Saturday at Trinity Fellowship Church, 4749 South Ave.

The cost is $8 for adults and $5 for children age 10 and under.

For more information, visit www.solaceofthevalley.org.

Burglary charge

WARREN

Melanie Oliver, 33, of Valley Street Southwest and Duke Street Southeast, was released from the Trumbull County jail Tuesday after posting $2,500 bond after her arraignment on an aggravated burglary charge.

A not-guilty plea was entered for her in Warren Municipal Court. The charge is related to a Sept. 7 disturbance on Lane Drive Southwest. A woman told police Oliver attacked her after entering the victim’s apartment without permission.

That followed a discussion they had about a rape the victim had reported to police involving her child and Oliver’s child.

The victim sustained scratches to her arm and shoulder but did not seek medical attention for the injuries she said she suffered when Oliver struck her with closed fists, police said.

If convicted, Oliver could get eight years in prison.