Staff report

YOUNGSTOWN — Two men were charged with misdemeanor marijuana possession Tuesday afternoon when police found them at 2:11 p.m. in back of a downtown building in the 100 block of Commerce Street with bags of marijuana in their hands.

Officers were there because of complaints of drug use and open containers of alcohol in the area.

When officers approached the men, they quickly tried to hide the drugs but eventually turned them over, police said. They were released with citations ordering them to appear in court.

Cited are Braylon J. Barnes, 28, of Western Place in Austintown; and David Stinson, 35, of Pasadena Avenue.

Less than 10 minutes earlier, police also found George Ellis, 71, of Canfield Road, with an open container of alcohol at North Phelps and Commerce streets and cited him for having an open container in a public place.

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