METRO DIGEST || Animal cruelty case set for trial

Animal cruelty

CAMPBELL

The case of a Campbell man accused of shooting and killing his neighbor’s dog is set to go to trial, though no date has been set yet.

Brandon Stores, 30, faces misdemeanor charges of cruelty to animals and discharging a firearm within city limits.

Several animal-rights activists protested at the Campbell court Tuesday before Stores’ pretrial hearing.

Officers arrested Stores in October 2015 after he purportedly shot a dog on Princess Street. Stores told police the dog had tried to attack a 12-year-old girl.

The dog’s owner said the 25-pound Rottweiler mix had escaped from her home at the time of the incident.

Sebring schools tax

SEBRING

Voters in the Sebring School District will see a 1-percent income-tax renewal on the Aug. 2 special election ballot. The renewal would raise about $500,000 a year for five years.

Voters rejected the income-tax renewal 560 to 511 in the Nov. 3, 2015, general election.

Weapons charges

Officers arrested a man wandering North Canfield Niles Road businesses Tuesday morning on two weapons charges.

According to the police report, a hotel and two gas stations reported an intoxicated man causing problems with customers.

The man admitted being intoxicated and told officers he did not remember where he was staying, reports said.

While officers searched the man to arrest him on a charge of disorderly conduct, they found a handgun in his coat pocket with 10 live rounds in the magazine. Officers charged David McGouldrick III, 29, of Dunlap Avenue in Youngstown, with disorderly conduct, carrying a concealed weapon and using weapons while intoxicated.

Vacant home arrests

YOUNGSTOWN

Police took three people into custody about 10:15 p.m. Monday at a vacant home in the 700 block of Crandall Avenue.

Reports said police were called by a neighbor who saw candles on inside the home, which has been vacant for 12 years, the neighbor told police.

The three were taken into custody without incident, reports said. They are Jasmine Palmer, 23, of Crandall Avenue; and Dustin Martin, 20, and Johnnathen Figueroa, 18, both homeless.

All three are expected to be arraigned in municipal court today.

Meridian Road fire

AUSTINTOWN

Firefighters from Austintown, Canfield and Weathersfield fought a blaze Tuesday morning in a Fox Run Apartment building on North Meridian Road. Fire Chief Andrew Frost said the fire originated in the kitchen of one of the apartments on the middle level – most likely the stove area. Firefighters evacuated residents, rescuing some third-floor residents from their balconies. Only one resident was sent to St. Elizabeth Youngstown Hospital for smoke inhalation.

Howland house fire

howland

A disabled mother and her two sons escaped a house fire at 7775 Anderson Ave. that caused $65,000 in damage Monday.

The mother called 911 at 7:10 p.m. to say that a fire was in her son’s bedroom, and they had closed the bedroom door, and had gone to the front door of the home.

When firefighters arrived, they helped the woman, who was in a wheelchair, out of the house. Her sons, 7 and 9, also escaped. They suffered no injuries, but ambulance personnel took them to St. Joseph Warren Hospital to be checked.

The father, who is a pastor and had been notified of the fire, arrived home just after firefighters arrived, said Chief James Pantalone.

The entire home had smoke damage, and the upstairs bedroom had fire damage.

Firefighters believe a boy playing with a lighter started the fire.

Councilman theft

WARREN

Warren Councilman James Bluedorn reported the theft of a riding lawnmower from his home on Adelaide Avenue Southeast Monday.

Bluedorn reported that the tractor had been taken between April 18-22 from his backyard while he was gone from home.

Robbed by ‘helpers’

WARREN

A man, 61, of Warren, reported being robbed of $300 at a house on North Street Northeast at 7:30 p.m. Saturday after a male and female offered to help him with his broken-down car on Elm Road near Woodland Street,

The couple offered to help him and took him to North Street, where he was told they were waiting for a tow truck. But the couple assaulted him and took his cash. They threatened him with a hammer and said they had a gun. He was struck in the nose, causing it to bleed, then allowed to leave. He went back to his car and got a tow truck.

Shots fired into house

WARREN

About eight gunshots were fired into a house on Second Street Southwest at 10:20 p.m. Monday.

The resident, 60, reported that he was sleeping on the couch when he heard the gunshots. The people firing the shots were gone by the time he was able to sit up, he said.

Police observed the side door to be kicked in, and they found four bullet casings and three bullets in the house.