Sex-crimes arrest

Sex-crimes arrest

YOUNGSTOWN

U.S. Marshals on Friday arrested a city man indicted Thursday on several sex- crime charges, at least one of which involved a minor.

Kendrick A. R. Mickel, 22, was reportedly aware of his indictment on counts of rape, gross sexual imposition and disseminating matter harmful to juveniles and waited for marshals to take him into custody at his Pineview Avenue home.

Mickel is set for arraignment Tuesday in Mahoning County Common Pleas Court.

Items stolen from vehicle

AUSTINTOWN

A Madrid Drive man reported a thief stole three single-lens reflex cameras, a laptop and several tools from his unlocked SUV Wednesday night, according to a police report.

The man told police he believed he secured the vehicle, but was unsure. Police noted there was no damage to the vehicle’s exterior.

A neighbor’s security-camera footage did not depict a suspect because of the rain that night, but showed the vehicle was opened just before 11:30 p.m.

Sex-assault accusation

AUSTINTOWN

A township woman accusing her neighbor of sexual assault said the man forcefully grabbed her genitals.

The woman reported the Oct. 6 incident to township police Thursday, after confronting him Tuesday, according to the report. She said several neighbors were drinking together during a friendly gathering at a home along Claridge Drive.

She said the man first gave her a seemingly innocuous “friendly slap on the butt,” but when later offering a parting hug to the man, she claimed he grabbed her breast and genitals forcefully, as if attempting penetration.

The woman said she confronted the man about the alleged assault Tuesday, but she didn’t allow him a chance to respond.

Police have not identified or charged the man and continue to investigate.

Charity benefit

NILES

Trumbull Athletic Club, 717 Belmont Ave., will host a charity benefit from noon to 7 p.m. today. The spaghetti dinner, at $10 for adults and $6 for children, will take place in honor of Isaiah Denzel Ramon Issa, who was killed Sept. 2 by a passing vehicle. There also will be a 50-50 raffle.

Turkey giveaway

YOUNGSTOWN

Greater Friendship Baptist Church, 646 Lakewood Ave., will be giving away free turkeys from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. today. The event is first come, first served as there are a limited amount of turkeys available.

Apartment fire

LIBERTY

Liberty firefighters contained a fire that broke out Friday in the laundry room of the Deville apartment complex on Gypsy Lane. The fire was reported at 8:30 a.m.

Fire Capt. Bill Opsitnik said it appears to be accidental. The fire was put out before it could spread to other rooms. There were no injuries.

The Red Cross will assist with finding tenants a place to stay if their rooms were damaged by smoke.

Vienna and Hubbard firefighters and the Youngstown Air Reserve Station provided mutual aid.

Fire-prevention event

GIRARD

There will be a fire-prevention week open house from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. today at the fire station on 105 E. Liberty St. Parking is available across the street at Trinity Lutheran Church. There will be safety handouts for adults, safety items and coloring books for children and a drawing for home smoke alarms and fire extinguishers.

Painkillers seized

YOUNGSTOWN

City police Thursday seized more than 180 painkillers in separate incidents.

About 5 p.m., officers serving a search warrant investigating drug activity at a 329 E. Judson Ave. home found 96 painkillers, two scales and two bags of marijuana.

Issued citations for possession of drugs and possession of drug paraphernalia were Jose Luis Valentin, 22; Emmanuel Valentin, 21; and Naikya Parker, 19.

About 12:10 p.m. police found 85 painkillers and a bag of marijuana inside a car that Marshella Hodge, 18, of East Florida Avenue was driving that was pulled over at Hillman Street and West Hylda Avenue on the South Side for running a stop sign. The officers there issued citations for possession of drugs and possession of marijuana.

Restaurant fight

BOARDMAN

A fight broke out at Asuka on Market Street over an issue with a customer’s bill Wednesday night, according to police reports.

The customer, Kiria McPhatter, 23, of New Castle, Pa., got into an argument with a waiter, Eileen Greer, 31, of Boardman, that sparked the brawl at the restaurant.

McPhatter and Greer gave different accounts, but a witness told police that McPhatter yelled at Greer and struck her several times.

The report explained the two “engaged in mutual combat” that was broken up by another witness. Asuka management will provide video surveillance to police.

Book-burial ceremony

YOUNGSTOWN

The Youngstown Area Jewish Federation’s book-burial ceremony will be at 10:30 a.m. Sunday at the Knox Street Cemetery, located at the far end of Knox Street, which runs off South Avenue on the city’s South Side.