Incognito fail
It was 9 p.m. on April 17 when a man described as white, likely in his forties, brown hair with weathered skin and a denim jacket walked into a store on the 6300 block of 35th Ave S.W. He walked up to the counter, said he had a gun, and asked the teller to open the cash register. The teller later told police he didn’t believe the man had a gun, but followed directions and gave the man $255.73. The suspect fled on foot. Police watched the surveillance footage and noted when the suspect initially walked in and approached the counter he tried to pull his jacket over his head, but likely after realizing he had no hood, gave up on being incognito. A K-9 unit was brought in to follow his track, but heavy foot traffic in the area cut the leads short. Police are still investigating.

Man severely beaten at homeless encampment
On April 17 police responded to Harborview Medical Center and interviewed a man with two black eyes, a severely swollen face, multiple contusions, a broken nose and difficulty speaking. He told police he was inside his tent with his girlfriend in a Highland Park homeless community around 11:30 p.m. when things went bad. He got into an argument with another tenant over a battery pack and sometime later the suspect attacked him, causing serious injuries. Doctors told the victim in addition to his broken nose he had a floating upper jaw and multiple facial fractures. He was scheduled to have surgery on April 24. The victim was able to provide police with a tent #, physical description and phone number for the suspect.

Drilling doors
At 4:53 a.m. on April 16 a sleeping couple on Palm Ave S.W. was ripped from their dreams to the blare of their home security alarm. Investigating, they found someone had used a drill to make two dime-sized holes in their front door in order to slip an object inside and undo the deadbolt. The unknown suspect was able to grab a victim’s purse before bailing after the alarm sounded.

Taking from those who give
Someone broke into a handful of Youngstown Cultural Arts Center non-profit offices around April 11 (and the week before) and stole miscellaneous electronics. Police are still investigating the break-ins.

Shed abuse
Someone used the shed in a victim’s South Park backyard to do “some type of narcotic,” urinate and sleep.

Add to the insult to injury file
On April 11 unknown suspects broke into a 4th Ave S. home in South Park and stole $2000 from a hidden purse and several jacket pockets inside the victim’s bedroom. The suspect also hid the victim’s telephone between the mattress and box spring and ate several pieces of candy before leaving.

Robberies by block: corner of SW Holden St/15th Ave SW, 6300 35th Ave SW, 9000 18th Ave SW, 7000 16th Ave SW, 7500 35th Ave SW

Burglaries by block: 1400 Palm Ave SW, 4000 56th Ave SW, 9900 31st Ave SW, 5000 25th Ave SW, 2100 41st Ave SW, 9200 Olson Pl SW, 4000 22nd Ave SW, 6000 44th Ave SW, 4100 46th Ave SW, 3000 SW Trenton St, 8600 Fauntleroy Way SW, 10200 37th Pl SW, 9000 15th Ave SW, 9000 Delridge Way SW

Car prowls by block: 1500 42nd Ave SW, 9800 49th Ave SW, 9200 2nd Ave SW, corner of 35th Ave SW/SW Barton St, corner of Delridge Way SW/SW Cloverdale St, 3000 52nd Ave SW, 7800 30th Ave SW

Vehicle thefts by block: 9000 Delridge Way SW, corner of California Ave SW/SW Frontenac St, corner of SW Holden St/24th Ave SW, 9400 18th Ave SW, corner of 31st Ave SW/SW Barton St, 8000 Fauntleroy Way SW, 7700 30th Ave SW, 6300 29th Ave SW, 8800 17th Ave SW, 6500 34th Ave SW