Youngstown's start to 2010 is a deadly one. Police found the murdered body of an elderly woman on the city's South Side Saturday morning.
Police were called to Saint Dominic's Church on Lucius Avenue around 9:30 Saturday morning. When they got there, they found an 80-year-old woman slumped over in the drivers seat of her car.
"Right now, we're preliminary investigating a robbery that turned into a homicide," Youngstown Detective Captain Rod Foley said.
Police believe the woman stayed late after mass to pray. When she was walking to her car, a man robbed her and shot her in the head.
It's only the 23rd day of 2010 and there's already four murders in Youngstown.
"It's pretty bad when you can't go to church and you get shot at. You know what I mean?" St. Dominic's Church member John Schneider said.
No one saw the murder take place but Saint Dom's has security cameras around the parking lot. Police took the camera's hard drive and are currently reviewing the video.
One man who goes to Saint Dom's everyday said it's common for men to approach church-goers in the parking lot asking for money.
"They have a lot of people coming around that try to beg you for money," Schneider said. "Why don't they just take the money and leave the person alone? Don't kill them."
The church does have a security guard, but it is unclear if he was working Saturday.
One parishioner saids he may have seen the suspect leave the parking lot and turn east onto Lucius Avenue. He said the man was African-American between 5' 8" and 5' 10" with a medium build.
While the church community is devastated by this tragedy, Saint Dominic's did not want to comment on the murder at this time.
