Sick woman on porch leads to drug-related arrests

YOUNGSTOWN

Police answering a call for a woman Thursday who was sick on a porch on Taft Avenue ended up making two arrests.

Officers were called about 3:45 p.m. to the 2000 block of Taft Avenue for a report of a woman who appeared to be sick. Reports said just before officers arrived, witnesses told police the woman got into a pickup truck driven by a man who had earlier been slumped over the wheel before waking up and driving past the home the woman was at.

Police found the truck a short distance away and pulled it over but when they did the driver, Phillip Harris, 44, of Taft Avenue, disobeyed police commands to get out and instead kept his head and hands out of sight as the did the passenger, Allaura Massrock, 31, of Hudson Avenue.

Police managed to get them out of the car and under the seats they found white powder residue, several ripped open plastic bags and a drink that had been poured over some of the powder. Reports said Massrock had a digital scale and an unspecified quantity of drugs in her purse that she said Harris gave to her.

Harris was taken to the Mahoning County jail on a charge of obstructing official business. Massrock was also taken to the jail on a charge of possession of drugs and possession of drug paraphernalia.