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Two arraigned on weapons charges
By Joe Gorman
YOUNGSTOWN
Two men arrested on weapons charges over the weekend were arraigned Monday in municipal court.
Maurice Morris, 35, of East Philadelphia Avenue, is in the Mahoning County jail on charges of being a felon in possession of a firearm and improper handling of a motor vehicle after he was pulled over about 1:30 a.m. Saturday on East Philadelphia Avenue for speeding and running a stop sign.
Morris was reaching under the seat when officers walked up to his car and when they searched it, they found a 9mm semiautomatic pistol underneath the seat. His bond was set at $25,000 by visiting Judge Dino Prassinos.
About 3:20 p.m. Friday, Edward Lightning, 34, of Shehy Street, was arrested on gun charges as well as charges of trafficking in drugs and obstructing official business on South Garland Avenue after a brief chase when an officer tried to pull him over for an improper turn.
Reports said Lightning had seven bags of suspected crack cocaine, and police found a 9mm pistol on the ground that they later found out to be stolen from Columbiana County after Lightning ran from the car. Judge Prassinos set his bond at $40,000.
Late Sunday, police recovered a car that reports said was stolen at gunpoint Sunday afternoon.
Tara Marie Stewart, 25, of Berwick Avenue, is in the Mahoning County jail on charges of possession of drug paraphernalia, obstruction of justice and receiving stolen property.
Police were called to Volney Road and Winona Drive about 3:15 p.m., where a man and woman said they were in the area to buy drugs when two men got in their car, pulled a gun, beat the male driver and took the car.
The driver of the car later called police about 11:50 p.m. and said he found it and a woman in the driver’s seat at a Market Street gas station. Stewart, who matched the description of the woman in the driver’s seat, was found hiding behind a house in the first block of Mabel Avenue. A purse found near her had a crack pipe inside, reports said. Stewart told police someone at the gas station gave her the car and told her it was stolen.
Charges are pending against a woman who complained early Saturday her ex-boyfriend took her car and drove it into a West Side bar. She also was arrested after police found drugs inside the car.
Officers were called about 1 a.m. to a 1698 Mahoning Ave. bar where they found the car on the side of the building. A woman in the crowd, Al Joane Phillips, 20, told them a man in the crowd had taken her keys and had driven away in the car when they were arguing.
Police found the man but he gave them a false name, reports said. He was identified as Christopher Cordero, 31, of South Garland Avenue, and he had the keys to Phillips’ car with him, reports said.
He was arrested on charges of robbery, falsification and tampering with evidence.
Inside the car, police found a large bag of suspected crack cocaine, marijuana, and Phillips’ phone and purse. She was charged with possession of cocaine, possession of marijuana, obstructing official business and resisting arrest.
Both were taken to the Mahoning County jail, and charges are pending against both.
Jamar Jones, 21, of Franklin Street, was booked into the jail early Saturday after reports said a car he was driving squealed its tires in front of officers who were downtown at West Federal Street. As police searched for the car, another car, driven by CeyanieDuBose, 23, of Youngstown, cut in front of them.
Police found the car Jones was driving behind the Downtown Circle and DuBose was boxed in by other officers. DuBose was cited for driving under suspension and interfering with the right of way of a law-enforcement officer.
Reports said Jones ran from police before he was caught on Hazel Street. He was taken to the Mahoning County jail on charges of failure to comply and resisting arrest.