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Pair indicted for one day burglary, arson spree
By Joe Gorman
YOUNGSTOWN
A detective said video evidence was key in catching two people involved in a burglary spree last month and another burglary two days later where someone drove a truck through the doors of a West Side business.
A Mahoning County grand jury Thursday handed up indictments against Robert Mogg, 51, of Richview Avenue, and Gregory R. Bass, 31, of Upland Avenue, for the series of crimes. They face charges of burglary, aggravated arson, three counts of breaking and entering, receiving stolen property, vandalism and theft.
“They were on a rampage,” said fire department Capt. Kurt Wright, who also is an arson investigator and helped file the arson charge against the men.
The grand jury also indicted Miles B. Hogan, 53, of South Meridian Road, in connection with a break-in two days later at the Mill Creek Deli on South Schenley Avenue on the West Side, where Mogg is accused of driving a truck through the doors of the business early Oct. 16. Hogan faces charges of breaking and entering, vandalism and theft.
Mogg and Bass are charged in a series of crimes that began about 3 a.m. Oct. 14 at a Salt Springs Road business, where Mogg is accused of driving a truck through the garage door and stealing several items. Someone spotted Mogg, who Detective Sgt. Michael Cox said was with two other people, and they drove away.
A couple of hours later, they tried to break in again but were not able to get inside, although they did damage the door, Cox said.
Mogg and Bass then went to a home on Powersdale Avenue on the South Side and removed an air conditioner before they then traveled to Mahoning Avenue, where they broke into a dentist office with an upstairs apartment belonging to an 83-year-old man. They stole two televisions and a laptop there, the detective said.
Wright said they then set a fire on the second floor to cover their tracks before they left.
“The building was on fire within moments of them leaving,” Wright said.
The truck they used in those crimes was stolen from Austintown and was burned at the end of the day, Cox said.
Cox said Mogg then stole another truck and drove through the doors of the Mill Creek Deli, where Hogan was spotted on video stealing cigarettes.
Cox said video not just at the deli but also at the Salt Springs Road and Mahoning Avenue break-ins was critical to helping police find the three men.
“If it wasn’t for video, we either wouldn’t be able to solve it or wouldn’t be able to solve it this quick,” Cox said.
More charges could be filed later against Mogg and Bass because they are suspects in other West Side break-ins, Cox said.