ELYRIA — An Elyria man who was on the run after being accused of distributing “bad” heroin was arrested yesterday by U.S. Marshals.

Burnside

Brett Burnside, 29, of Elyria, was charged with possession of heroin and having weapons under disability, Lorain police detective A.J. Mathewson said in April.

According to Deputy Tony Keffer, U.S. Marshals Service task force coordinator for Lorain County, Burnside went on the run, and Marshals were looking for him for about a week before receiving a tip that he was at an Elyria hotel.

Marshals found him yesterday hiding underneath a bed beside a big pile of cash at the Quality Inn in Elyria, Keffer said.

Miscellaneous pills were also found in the room, Keffer said.

Keffer couldn’t say how long Marshals suspect Burnside has been at the hotel.

“We received a tip that he was there, and we know that the room has been rented out since Monday,” Keffer said.

At least two overdose deaths in the city of Lorain this spring had been tied to heroin obtained from Burnside and another man, Nicholas Kennedy, 36, of Amherst, Mathewson had said.

Kennedy was already indicted on three counts of trafficking in heroin as well as possession of criminal tools and possession of heroin.

LORAIN — A Lorain boy had to be transported by LifeFlight after he was attacked by a “large white pit bull type dog” yesterday afternoon and received severe injuries to his face and arm.

Tyzhon Wannamaker, 5, was taken first to Mercy hospital and then flown to Rainbow Babies & Children’s hospital. He is listed in stable condition today.

Officers were called to 903 W. 14th St. about 5:15 p.m. yesterday and found the dog covered in blood. The child had already apparently been taken into the house, the report said.

The boy’s mother told police her two sons were playing outside when the 7-year-old ran inside screaming that a dog had Tyzhon. She told officers she ran outside to see the dog had her son in its mouth shaking him from side to side.

The mother said she began looking for something to beat the dog with, but her aunt who lives below her was already outside beating the dog. She said they took Tyzhon to into the aunt’s residence and called 911.

Police had difficulty determining who the dog belonged to, but the mother finally told them her cousin had come to the home with a male several days earlier, and he had brought the dog, the report said. Since then, the dog had just been hanging around, she said.

The county dog warden arrived and was able to take the dog into custody without incident, the report said.

CT photo by Rona Proudfoot.

PITTSFIELD TWP. — The Ohio Highway Patrol has identified Sandra Linden, 55, of Norwalk as the woman who was killed in a five-vehicle crash on state Route 20 today.

Rescue squads were called to the scene, just west of Quarry Road, about 8 a.m.

Five vehicles were involved — a Nash Finch Co. food hauling semi truck, a tan Ford pickup truck, a yellow Volkswagen Beetle, a tan Ford passenger car and a gray minivan.

According to Sgt. Cross with the Highway Patrol, Linden, who was driving the gray minivan, went left of center, into the path of the semi. The semi attempted to swerve and struck the other three vehicles.

The semi then burst into flames and was fully engulfed when Wellington fire crews arrived on the scene, according to Wellington fire Lt. Bill Brown.

See Wednesday’s edition of The Chronicle for more.

Wlaszyn

LORAIN — A Lorain woman has been charged with conspiracy to commit murder after police say she tried to hire a man to kill her deceased niece’s husband.

Irene Wlaszyn, 53, was arrested last night at West Fifth Street and Reid Avenue, according to Lorain police Lt. Mark Carpentiere.

Her intended victim, U.S. Marine Corps Sgt. James Eppler, was released from a Georgia jail last month after being cleared in the February death of his wife.

Eppler, who like his late wife, Natalie Eppler, is a native of Lorain County, had been charged with murder, but those charges were dropped, Dougherty County District Attorney Gregory Edwards said.

Edwards said that the investigation has determined that the single gunshot wound to the head that killed Natalie Eppler was self-inflicted.

Carpentiere said Wlaszyn approached the Lorain man two to three weeks ago.

“Luckily that guy she approached came to us, and we had her under surveillance,” Carpentiere said. “She met with this guy, and we were able to arrest her.

“We had enough evidence to determine she was serious about her intentions.”

Carpentiere declined to identify the would-be hit-man, but said “it was somebody she knew, we’re not exactly sure how.”

Police aren’t yet releasing details of how Wlaszyn wanted Eppler killed, saying “those details will come out in court.”

Wlaszyn will be arraigned today, Carpentiere said.