Ohio pastor seeks state help on dilapidated houses after 2nd church member is killed

Ohio pastor seeks state help after 2nd homicide

CLEVELAND — The pastor of an Ohio church that has had two elderly parishioners killed since January is appealing to state officials for help demolishing crime-ridden dilapidated houses.

Rev. Gregory Maturi (mah-TOOR’-ee) of St. Dominic Roman Catholic Church in Youngstown made appeals for help in meetings Monday with Gov. Ted Strickland and Tuesday with Ohio Attorney General Richard Cordray.

The pastor says efforts to demolish derelict houses that attract criminal activity have been hampered by state regulations.

An 80-year-old parishioner was killed in the church parking lot in January in an apparent robbery. On Saturday, another member was fatally shot and his wife was wounded while driving home from the church in what police believe is a case of mistaken identity.