Niles police announce reward in October homicide of elderly woman

Staff report

NILES

Police say a reward of $10,000 is being offered for information in the Oct. 6 death of Arlene Frasca, 74, who was killed in her home on Hiram Street.

The family has provided the money for the reward, and anyone with information is asked to call Youngstown Crimestoppers at 330-746-CLUE (2583).

Anyone who calls can remain anonymous, and the phone line does not have caller identification or any other method of identifying the caller, said Rick Alli, public information officer for Crimestoppers.

This is the second Trumbull County case Crimestoppers has worked on, the first being the slaying of Cody Pitts of Hubbard.

Capt. John Marshall of the Niles Police Department said during a news conference Tuesday that investigators have conducted several interviews and followed several leads in the case.

Police hope the reward will “be the incentive that a possible witness may need to give us a little bit of information to solidify the case.”

“We have narrowed the field slightly to include a list of persons of interest,” Marshall said.

Police were called to the Frasca home about 11 p.m. by Arlene Frasca’s husband, Angelo, who said two men with guns broke in and his wife was not breathing.

Police have refused to say how Arlene Frasca died, but they did say her killing was not a random act.

“We have facts to believe this house was specifically targeted,” said Niles Police Chief Jay Holland.

Police have declined to say what they think the perpetrator was looking for or whether they were able to get anything.

Angelo Frasca was taken to the hospital, treated and released for injuries he suffered in the attack.

Arlene Frasca worked 28 years for the Trumbull County Clerk of Courts office, both in the county courthouse in Warren and across the street in the auto title office in the county administration building.

She also sold real estate and was active in her church, Our Lady of Mount Carmel in Niles, and many social clubs.