Sentenced to 4 years

Sentenced to 4 years

WARREN

Christopher M. Cretella, 58, of Strausbaugh Avenue, Youngstown, has been sentenced to four years in prison for ramming his car into an occupied Howland police vehicle last May while trying to escape after stealing from the Tractor Supply store on Elm Road.

Cretella pleaded guilty earlier in Trumbull County Common Pleas Court to assault on a peace officer, robbery and failure to comply with the order of a police officer.

A Howland police officer was in an unmarked police car in the Tractor Supply parking lot at 6:10 a.m. May 9 when he heard the store’s security alarm go off and saw a man putting a piece of yard equipment from in front of the store into the back of his car. The officer later found a cable that secured the equipment to the property had been cut.

The officer drove at the car, and Cretella drove toward the police car, striking the police car in the front fender, then backed up and struck the police car again and drove off. Cretella got away from the officer but was captured later in Vienna.

Suspects identified

LIBERTY

Police have identified two suspects in connection with a weekend armed robbery. Charges are pending, Police Chief Richard Tisone said.

An employee at Conroy’s Express Shell Station on Logan Way told police two men who had their faces covered walked into the store about 9 p.m.

One man, who appeared to have a handgun, told the employee not to push a panic button and to hand over the money, according to a police report. The report states the man took an undisclosed amount of cash before both fled southbound toward Logan Way.

Multiple departments fight mobile-home fire

NEW MIDDLETOWN

Multiple departments battled a blaze at the Camelot Mobile Home Park along state Route 170 just south of East Middletown Road at around 4:30 p.m. Monday, according to a report from 21 WFMJ-TV, The Vindicator’s broadcast partner.

Crews first arriving on the scene reported small explosions coming from inside the trailer.

Police officials say there was no ammunition in the home. The fire heavily damaged the trailer. There are no reports of injuries.

There is was word on the cause of the fire as of late Monday night.

Arraigned on charges

WARREN

Paul T. Harvey Jr., 18, of Hillsdale Avenue Northwest, remains in the Trumbull County Jail after his arraignment Monday in Warren Municipal Court on a felony failure-to-comply charge.

Police said he fled from them in a car at 5:05 p.m. Saturday in the Perkins Drive-Mahoning Avenue-Summit Street area.

An officer said he saw Harvey in a vehicle pulling onto Mahoning Avenue Northwest from School Street without stopping at a stop sign or using a turn signal.

The officer used his lights and siren, but the car sped up on Perkins Drive and then went about 75 miles per hour on Mahoning before crashing into a tree on Parkman Road Northwest.

A not-guilty plea was entered for him Monday in Warren Municipal Court. He pleaded not guilty to three traffic citations — weaving, a stop-sign violation and having no driver’s license.

Meeting discusses levy

NILES

Our Lady of Mount Carmel Church hosted the second town-hall meeting to inform voters of a levy on the ballot in March.

Residents voiced their opinions, both in approval and opposition, according to 21 WFMJ-TV, The Vindicator’s broadcast partner.

The proposed income tax is a half-percent increase to maintain the operation of the city’s safety forces. The city has operated on a 1.5 percent income-tax rate since 1987, and it is one of the lowest rates in the area.

The increase will allow manpower, services, and response times to remain where they are and it will also account for the replacement of unsafe equipment.

If the levy doesn’t pass, layoffs will continue and Niles could lose one of its two fire stations.

Officials also stressed that a vote for the tax increase meant a vote for a continuing safety presence in schools, around the city, and a continuing fight against the cities growing drug problem, the TV station reported.