EAST LIVERPOOL — East Liverpool police officers, assisted by officers from Liverpool and St. Clair Township police departments, Deputy Luke Skidmore with K9 Diva of the Columbiana County Sheriff’s Office and Columbiana Special Response Team (SRT), made four arrests during a break-in Friday night at the East Liverpool Motor Lodge, 2340 Dresden Ave.

Michael Selester, 28; Chyane Brickner, 28; Connar Macosko, 22; all residing at 12512 OH River Boulevard, Chester and Donald Quick, 20, 300 Logan Road, Imperial, Pa. were arrested are facing multiple charges.

According to ELPD Police Officer George Anderson and a police report provided by the ELPD, officers arrived at the Motor Lodge at 7 p.m., Friday after receiving a report from a neighbor saying there was a lot banging noises being heard at the location.

Officers arrived at long-abandoned Motor Lodge to find a vehicle with U-Haul attached to it at the side of the building with items removed from inside the Motor Lodge and other items near the trailer. What appeared to be an empty fire extinguisher, a ductwork connector, a restaurant-style paper towel holder and a pizza tray were found in the trailer. Next to the trailer was a dolly used for moving boxes with two trays on it and a mini refrigerator.

According to the report, the group entered the building with the flashlight and walkie talkie with intent to take items and cause property damage.

“We ended up getting there before they could do anything too major,” Anderson said. “Obviously the place has already been pretty ransacked prior from other people. We just got lucky this time and were able to catch them. They were able to get anything worth value. Unfortunately, they did end up breaking some chinaware inside, plates and cups.”

On the building’s rear side, one of the doors was pulled off, and a window had a board partially pulled off.

Anderson said while standing near the door, officers were able to hear people inside talking and what sounded like more banging and material possibly being ripped off the walls.

At that point, ELPD officers requested assistance from Liverpool and St. Clair Township police departments due to the building’s large size.

Anderson said as St. Clair officers arrived, they could hear someone on the north side of building and what sounded like someone kicking on the busted-up doors. As they got near the door, it flew open. Officers gave verbal commands and a male ran back inside.

At that time the officers were holding containment (setting a perimeter around the building to prevent suspects from escaping) and Columbiana County SRT, which was in the area, arrived and entered the building. Located were three adult males, one adult female and two juveniles.

According to Anderson upon questioning those arrested, they maintained since there wasn’t any “no trespassing” notices posted in the building — they thought were allowed to enter the building. Anderson put it in perspective for them by saying if they went on vacation for a month would he be allowed to go into their house and look around and was told no. He told them it was the same with that building.

It was also noted that despite the group observing signs of homelessness in the building they entered it with children.

Brickner told officers they got the U-Haul trailer to help an aunt move some items earlier in the day. Then they got the idea to go check out the inside of the Motor Lodge due to it being abandoned.

All of the involved parties were charged with breaking-and-entering, possession of criminal tools, theft without consent and criminal damage. They were transported to the Columbiana County Jail.

They were found to have in possession Mechanix wear impact gloves, a flashlight and camo knife, two wire cutters, Cobra walkie talkies and a Rugar 9mm firearm with one magazine and four 9mm rounds.

Selester and Brickner both face the additional charge of child endangerment as the stepfather and mother to the two juveniles who were placed with an aunt from Midland, Pennsylvania.

The endangerment charges stem from them creating a substantial risk hazard to the health and safety of their 7 and 8-year-old children by bringing them into an abandoned building where serious physical harm was a risk for the children during the commission of a felony crime.

Selester drove everyone to the location.

kgarabrandt@mojonews.com