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WARREN -- Dennis L. Bates Jr. was deemed a public threat in Warren Municipal Court today, along with a charge carried on a warrant throughout the last few months.
Bates was accused of making terroristic threats, a third-degree felony, in the charge filed against him on Feb. 5. An earlier menacing charge from Dec. 14 was amended to the felony charge, for which he was taken into custody on the same day.
At about 10:41 p.m., a Champion Township police officer noticed Bates' car on the side of Kiddie Day Care, coming from nearby storage units. According to police reports, Bates, 41, regularly stays at the location due to his homelessness.
"I followed Dennis on State Route 82 heading eastbound waiting for dispatch to confirm the active warrant for Dennis," the Champion officer stated. "Dispatch confirmed there was an entered warrant for terroristic threats. I activated my cruiser overhead lights and pulled Dennis's vehicle over on State Route 82 eastbound, east of Larchmont Avenue."
Bates was then followed by police, arrested for the warrant, and transported to the Trumbull County Jail. While searching Bates' person, the officer later found a pipe in his underwear, and a small bag of suspected marijuana.
A week prior to Bates' arrest, according to Champion police, Chief Larry Skags received an email from a case manager at CareStar of Cleveland, where Smith receives services.
The case manager gave details of Bates' responses to her in regard to his situation, which later led to his charge being increased to a felony.
Read the full story in tomorrow's issue of the Tribune Chronicle.