Boardman woman faces felony charge after standoff with police

Staff report

BOARDMAN

A township woman who caused a standoff with police Thursday faces a felony charge for the incident.

Rana Smith, 38, of Terrace Drive, is charged with felony obstructing official business and misdemeanor child endangering (two teenagers were in the house during the standoff), in addition to the original menacing-by-stalking charge that brought police to her house to serve an arrest warrant.

A team of officers arrived about 10:45 a.m. to serve the warrant and were on scene until after 1 p.m. The standoff briefly closed part of the street and led to the evacuation of one nearby home. Smith eventually surrendered without incident.

The initial charge stems from reports from at least one neighbor that Smith had repeatedly harassed them.

“I received a report regarding windows being shot out with a BB gun on a vehicle, and based upon her behavior documented in reports and her conduct, she was causing the neighbors to believe that she would cause physical harm to them or their property,” said Detective Glenn Patton.

Police reportedly found two pellet guns and a .22-caliber revolver in the house. A neighbor at the scene, who did not wish to be identified, said Smith repeatedly harassed his family, leading him to fear for the safety of his infant grandchild.

“She didn’t care. She’d come out with a [pellet] gun and start shooting,” he said. “It’s scary. It really is.”

Those kinds of incidents appeared to have escalated over the past two weeks, Patton said.

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