Suspect charged in fatal Warren Township blaze

Fire claims lives of retired pro boxer, 82-year-old man

WARREN TOWNSHIP -- A 73-year-old man was arrested and charged Monday as a suspect in a fatal house fire that killed two people early Sunday.

Carroll Bruton was booked into the Trumbull County jail on murder and arson charges for the fire in the 800 block of Miller Street. Bruton was arraigned Monday in Warren Municipal Court, where Judge Patty Knepp deemed him a risk of "serious harm" and revoked his bond.

Ahead of his next hearing, the court ordered a risk assessment, and a bond review hearing is set with a preliminary hearing set Jan. 16, court records show.

The victims of the fire were 82-year-old Roscoe Toles and 51-year-old Etianne Whitaker, according to a police report. Police said Bruton is related to the victims.

The man that called 911 was the victims' neighbor, George Palmer, 37, who said he was sleeping on the couch when he heard what he thought "sounded like fireworks going off." Shortly afterward, Palmer recalled a "big boom" that sent flames into his driveway.

"I saw the fire coming out the back end first and ran outside then back in to grab my phone to call 911," Palmer said, noting that by the time he came back outside, the house was engulfed in flames.

Palmer, who has lived next door two years, said he had to extinguish flames on a small section of his roof.

As the flames raged, Palmer said several neighbors were outside calling for help but said there was little that could be done to save those trapped inside.

"It all happened so fast," Palmer said. "The firefighters were here and all you can really do is let them do their job while you stand back and watch."'

Sharing in the disbelief of Sunday morning's tragedy, the victims' longtime neighbor, Darryl Parker, 52, said he is trying to make sense of their deaths. Parker said he's been neighbors with the victims for decades.

He said the neighborhood has been like family and everyone was shocked to hear about the deaths of Whittaker and Toles. Like any other quiet neighborhood, Parker said the two men often sat on their porch and would wave or speak when they saw each other out.

"We would help each other out if there was something that they needed. If I could help them, I would," Parker said.

Just that morning, Parker said he spoke to a neighbor a street over that also knew the victims as they discussed the "shocking" and "painful" ordeal.

"When someone passes in a normal state through sickness or something, you kind of deal with that even though it hurts, you understand that, but when it's such a violent or tragic situation, you kind of have a different type of grieving," Parker said.

Bruton, the man accused of intentionally starting the blaze that killed Whitaker and Toles, was a common sight in the neighborhood as well.

Oftentimes, Parker said he'd see the suspect walking down the street reciting Bible verses.

Having known him since childhood, Parker recalled Whitaker being a prominent boxer also known as "ET" who fought as a super middleweight and light heavyweight boxer.

According to a book written by former area boxer Craig Snyder called, "The Boxers of Youngstown, Ohio: Boxing Capital of the World," Whitaker fought throughout the United States and had bouts overseas in Canada, Germany, Denmark and St. Lucia.

He retired after his final fight in Canada in 2010 with a record of 33-32-2.

"There's going to be a vacant seat at the dinner table," Parker said. "Through my faith and through knowing someone, it just hurts to know as I go down the street there will be a vacant lot or a pile of rubble until they clean it up."