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Pellet gun vandalism leads to indictment for Austintown man

YOUNGSTOWN — Mason P. Rusu, 18, of White Beech Lane, Austintown, was indicted on felony vandalism and two misdemeanor counts of criminal damaging or endangering in an Aug. 3 incident in which he is accused of shooting at a house and several vehicles, including cars driving along Mahoning Avenue in Austintown.

A report from Austintown Police Department states that a concerned citizen approached an officer’s parked cruiser around 5:30 a.m. Oct. 3 to report that three young people in a Chevrolet Cruze were driving along Mahoning Avenue firing a pellet gun at passing traffic.

Initially, the officer searched the area but could not find the vehicle. Shortly after that, dispatch notified police the vehicle had been seen at a Kleber Avenue home, near where the officer received the original complaint.

According to the report, police arrived at the Kleber Avenue home, where residents told them a blue Cruze, driven by Madison Mayberry, 21, of Austintown, passed the house while two males fired a pellet gun at it and the vehicles parked there. They said the suspects shot at the house once around 4:30 a.m., returned a while later and shot at the home again, and did it once more just after 5:30 a.m.

In addition to several pellets that struck the house, damage was done to a Nissan Altima and a Ford Explorer, mostly shattering the Explorer’s rear glass and rear passenger window. A neighbor’s home also was struck.

One of the residents told police that after the third incident, Mayberry got out of the car, approached the house and said the shooting was “just a prank.” He told police she fled when he started to confront her.

About two hours after the last incident, police pulled over Mayberry on Pembrook Avenue. She told police that Rusu and another male asked her to drive them to the house but did not tell her why. She was released at the time but was told that police would contact her for additional questioning.

Available court records do not show any charges yet against the second male.

Mayberry was charged with felony complicity in Mahoning County Area Court in Austintown, and the charge was bound over to a county grand jury Oct. 25, but no action has been taken.

Others indicted are:

•   Edward L. Johnson, 27, Mahoning County jail, having weapons while not allowed, cocaine possession and fentanyl- related compound possession.

•   Rita D. Crockett, 60, Hilton Avenue, child endangering.

•   Justin L. Fry-Starrett, 30, Mahoning County jail, obstructing official business.

•   Antonio D. Young, 28, Sherwood Avenue, fentanyl-related compound possession, two counts of operating a motor vehicle under the influence and one count of driving under an OVI suspension.

•   Kevontae L. Thomas, 23, Belden Avenue, aggravated drug possession with a specification of forfeiture of money in a drug case, illegal conveyance of drugs of abuse onto the grounds of a specified governmental facility, fentanyl-related compound possession and cocaine possession, both with a specification of forfeiture of money in a drug case.

•   Krisjai J. Anderson, 20, Ravine Drive, cocaine possession and illegal use or possession of drug paraphernalia.

•   Hayden J. Cope, 28, Kirk Road, Columbiana, fentanyl-related compound possession and aggravated drug possession.

•   Clifford M. Harvey, 40, Mahoning County jail, grand theft of a motor vehicle, failure to comply with the order of a police officer, obstructing official business and operating a vehicle under the influence.

•   Patrick M. Jordan, 41, Mahoning County jail, breaking and entering, attempted breaking and entering and two counts of possessing criminal tools.

•  Corrine E. Missory, 24, Kirk Road, Austintown, fentanyl-related compound possession and illegal use or possession of drug paraphernalia.

•   Cory L. Dodd-Baumgartner, 34, Mahoning County jail, cocaine possession and illegal use or possession of drug paraphernalia.

•   Dominic V. Chicase, 31, Selma Avenue, fentanyl-related compound possession and cocaine possession.

•   Timothy A. Esposito, 50, Neilsen Avenue, felony theft and misdemeanor theft, attempted misdemeanor theft and misdemeanor criminal trespass.

•  Samuel V. Esposito, 34, Neilsen Avenue, felony theft and misdemeanor theft, attempted misdemeanor theft and misdemeanor criminal trespass.

•   Christopher W. Spanbauer, 39, Mahoning County jail, breaking and entering, possessing criminal tools, grand theft and vandalism.

•   Mark A. Patrick, 32, Stark County jail, breaking and entering, possessing criminal tools, grand theft and vandalism.

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