Police seize two guns, arrest two in chases

By Joe Gorman | July 25, 2017 at 12:05a.m.

YOUNGSTOWN

Police over the weekend investigated a stabbing, a fight on Market Street that left a man unconscious, seized two guns and were involved in two chases.

About 11:45 p.m. Sunday, a North Bruce Street woman arrested after being accused of stabbing the father of her two children told police she was defending herself because he attacked her, reports said.

Tammy VanFossan, 33, was booked into the Mahoning County jail on a charge of felonious assault.

When officers arrived at their East Side home, the victim was covered in blood, reports said. VanFossan told police she and the victim were arguing because he was too drunk to get home, and after he got home, he began attacking her. She grabbed a knife to defend herself and stabbed him twice, including once in the stomach.

The victim is being treated at St. Elizabeth Youngstown Hospital. The victim said he did not want to press charges.

About 10:50 p.m. Sunday, police responded to a fight in the 3200 block of Market Street and found a man lying in the street unconscious surrounded by several .45-caliber shell casings.

Reports said a woman told police she was at the Shell station when she saw a fight break out and went to leave when several rounds struck her car, shattering a windshield and forcing the airbag to deploy.

Police talked to the victim at St. Elizabeth, but reports said he did not remember much. The man was not hit by gunfire but was knocked out when someone hit him in the head.

A city man also was arrested about 8 p.m. Sunday on weapons charges after reports said there was a loaded handgun with an obliterated serial number underneath the seat of a car he was riding in.

Reports said Trejuan Valentine, 18, was in the passenger’s seat of a car pulled over at Albert and McHenry streets for running a stop sign.

When police found out the driver did not have a driver’s license, police ordered Valentine and the driver out of the car because it was going to be towed. Police searched the car before it was towed when they found the gun, which is a 9 mm handgun.

Valentine is charged with improper handling of a firearm in a motor vehicle and possessing a defaced firearm.

Reports said a man who led police on a short chase about 11:35 p.m. Saturday before smashing his car into a utility pole at Garland and Overland avenues was arrested on weapons and resisting charges. An officer tried to pull him over for an improper turn.

Treyvonne Dill of Ferndale Avenue ran after crashing the car into the pole and kept clutching at his waist as if he had a gun, reports said.

An officer fired at him twice with his electronic stun weapon, and the second time, Dill fell to the ground, and as he did so a 9 mm pistol fell from his waist, reports said.

Dill struggled with officers before he was taken into custody.

About 3:20 p.m. Friday, Dante Pete, 19, was arrested by police on Belmont Avenue after he led officers on a chase from the South Side to the North Side, including on Interstate 680 and state Route 711.

Reports said Pete was seen throwing something out of his car on the state Route 711 connector, but a search with a police dog turned up nothing.

Reports said Pete would not stop when an officer tried to pull him over for running a stop sign at Parkcliffe and Hudson avenues.