METRO DIGEST || Woman victim of STRS gift card scam

Woman is victim of STRS gift card scam

AUSTINTOWN

An area woman purchased gift cards totaling $6,281 to pay a person posing as an employee from State Teachers Retirement Systems on Wednesday.

The woman reported the matter to police Thursday after the STRS scammer continued to call her.

The report says the person claimed the woman’s late husband’s pension and life premiums were in arrears.

The report says the woman purchased an additional $4,000 in gift cards from Giant Eagle, 5220 Mahoning Ave., after the second call, and employees at the store warned her of the scam.

Son shot at bus stop, mother tells police

WARREN

The mother of an 18-year-old man told police Thursday her son was shot at about 4:45 p.m. while they were waiting for a bus in the 1100 block of Market Street.

Reports said the mother told police she was not sure what happened and her son said he was checking his phone when he was injured and did not see who shot him.

The mother managed to find someone to drive her and her son to St. Joseph Warren Hospital, reports said. The victim was grazed by a bullet near his bicep.

Car chase ends at Gypsy and Belmont

YOUNGSTOWN

A police chase ended Friday afternoon when the suspect’s car hit a truck near Belmont Avenue and Gyspy Lane, The Vindicator’s broadcast partner 21 WFMJ-TV News reports. Police tried to stop the car for running a stop sign near Parkcliff and Hudson avenues. Instead, the car sped off Interstate 680, Interstate 80 and state Route 711 connector, WFMJ reports. Emergency personnel took the suspect to the hospital.

Fire destroys vacant home on West Side

YOUNGSTOWN

A fire destroyed a vacant West Side home early Friday, The Vindicator’s broadcast partner 21-WFMJ-TV reports. The city had deemed the home, at 139 Hall Heights Ave., unlivable days before. No one was injured. The cause is under investigation.