AUSTINTOWN A Youngstown man was released from the Mahoning County jail after posting bond in a case where a gun was found in a car during a traffic stop.
Ray’mon Sims, 19, of 242 Outlook Ave., is facing charges of improper handling of a firearm in a motor vehicle.
Austintown police saw a car driving 50 mph in a 35 mph zone about 12:41 a.m. Friday on Mahoning Avenue. The vehicle pulled into Wendy’s, 27 S. Raccoon Road, and officers noticed the odor of marijuana coming from the vehicle, a report states.
The vehicle was searched and “numerous small roaches of smoked marijuana” and a small amount of marijuana in a cigar packet were found. While moving the seat forward, the report states the officer heard the sound of metal hitting metal and a handgun was found partially under the seat.
Jacob Howley, 32, of 2562 W. Liberty St., was arrested on a charge of OVI.
Officers on patrol found Howley seemingly passed out behind the wheel at Sun Merchant, 3605 Mahoning Ave., about 10 p.m., according to a police report.
When officers knocked on the window and roused Howley, the vehicle started moving toward a telephone pole. Howley was ordered to put the car in park before he struck the pole, which he did. He identified himself and said he was driving his girlfriend’s car around the block.
Officers noticed “pinned pupils and slurred speech,” the report states.
While talking with police, Howley kept falling asleep and was giving indication of narcotic use, which he denied. Officers noticed a folded piece of paper and a rolled $20 bill in the center console of the vehicle. Police then asked Howley to get out of the car and perform field sobriety tests. The report states he did them inadequately.
AUSTINTOWN Mahoning County Area Court in Austintown will remain closed until Feb. 12, Judge Scott Hunter announced Monday.
The court announced last week it would be closed through today because an employee with access to public and nonpublic facilities tested positive for COVID-19.
But Monday, the court announced that the court would remain closed through Feb. 12 so the court can be professionally cleaned and sanitized.
The court will reopen Feb. 16 after the President’s Day holiday Monday. All criminal proceedings, including pretrial hearings, trials and preliminary hearings, will be continued until the next available date.
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Amanda Brumfield, 23, of 9581 Olde Eight Road, is facing felony drug charges.
According to a police report, a vehicle was stopped at 8:07 p.m. Monday for several traffic violations. When officers were talking with the driver, they noticed he was nervous shaking, breathing heavily and avoiding eye contact.
During the exchange, officers saw the passenger, Brumfield, reaching toward the right side of her body. She was asked for identification but refused.
The driver “gave consent to search his vehicle, but the front seat passenger was being uncooperative and attempted to argue for officers asking for consent to search the vehicle and her person,” the report states.
nhawthorne@tribtoday.com
AUSTINTOWN A Warren man being held in the Mahoning County jail is accused of breaking into his ex-girlfriend’s home.
Thomas Hilty, 35, of 1104 Buena Vista Ave. NE, is charged with burglary.
Officers arrived at a home in the 100 block of Carnegie Avenue about 10:25 p.m. Thursday. A police report states the woman returned to her house about 8:30 p.m. and when she went to throw something away at 10 p.m., she felt cold air and saw a window open a couple of inches. A stopper blocked it from opening entirely.
The open window prompted her to go outside to investigate, and she found footprints in the snow near the window and around her home. Back inside, she found rear-window blinds were broken, the window off the hinges and the screen pushed up.