Slain man identified

Slain man identified

YOUNGSTOWN

Police have identified a man found shot to death early Wednesday on the East Side.

Chief of Detectives Capt. Brad Blackburn said the victim is Omar Croom, 22, of McGuffey Road. A motorist found him about 1:30 a.m. lying in the roadway on Oak Street Extension, and police found he was dead from a gunshot wound.

Blackburn said there were no new developments in the investigation Thursday. Croom’s death is the third homicide in the city this year. In 2015, the city had 23 homicides.

Statement on crash

YOUNGSTOWN

The Mahoning County coroner said cellphone use may have contributed to the death of two people in an accident Tuesday at Courtney Road and state Route 165 in Smith Township.

Killed were Julie Gailey, 47, of Sebring, who died at the scene, and her husband, Robert Gailey, 60, passenger in the vehicle his wife was driving. He died a short while later at Mercy Hospital in Canton.

The Ohio State Highway Patrol said Julie Gailey drove down Courtney Road and failed to yield at a stop sign. Her car was struck by an SUV and a truck. There were no serious injuries in those vehicles.

A news release from forensic pathologist Dr. Joseph Ohr said Julie Gailey died instantly of injuries to her chest. The release said she was not wearing a seat belt, and “cellphone usage may have contributed to the accident and her untimely death.” The release did not say who was using the phone.

3 face drug charges

YOUNGSTOWN

Police found more than 3,000 painkiller pills and more than $2,600 in cash while serving a search warrant Wednesday afternoon at an Oak Hill Avenue home.

Taken into custody on possession-of-drug charges were Marqueal Smith, 25, who lists the home as his address; Lewer Dent, 26, of Boardman; and Shaquille Williams, 22, of Hilton Avenue.

The three are expected to be arraigned in municipal court today. Members of the vice squad and the Community Police Unit served the warrant about 2:10 p.m.

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