TimesLeader.com

Cops say teen shot, injured 3

Police allege Ryan Garvey fired shotgun at two other teens and adult in Nanticoke confrontation.

By Jen Marckini jmarckini@timesleader.com
Staff Writer

NANTICOKE – City police arrested an 18-year-old at his home in Hunlock Creek early Saturday in connection with a late-night shooting on Friday.

Ryan J. Garvey, of 374 Misdale Road, was charged with three counts each of aggravated assault, simple assault, reckless endangerment, terroristic threats and stalking and one count of possessing instruments of crime, according to arrest papers.

A fight over a girl at a bazaar in Sugar Notch led to alleged threats and gunfire, police said.

Police allege Garvey fired a shot from a shotgun at two teenage boys, both 16, and a mother of one of the teens in the area of South and South Prospect streets around 11 p.m.

The three sustained minor injuries when they were sprayed by pellets from the shotgun.

“Because of the distance between all of them, they walked away with superficial injuries,” said Detective Capt. William Shultz of Nanticoke police.

Police spent several hours searching for Garvey, who at one point fled into the woods in Newport Township. Garvey was later located by global positioning on his cell phone, the detective said.

According to the criminal complaint:

Police responded around 10:55 p.m. to the area of 1108 S. Prospect St. for a report of a 1997 Jeep circling a home of one of the teens in Nanticoke.

Robert Cook told police that he was at the Sugar Notch bazaar with several friends when Garvey called the cell phone of Kayla Tarnowski, Garvey’s girlfriend, and asked her if she was with one of his friends. He had her give the phone to Cook, and Garvey then threatened Cook. Garvey made several threatening phone calls and was observed several hours later circling Cook’s home six times.

A short time later, Garvey fired a shot, hitting Robert, his mother, Kirsten Cook, 44, and Dominick Rogo and then drove off.

Police collected evidence, including one shell casing, from the roadway at the 1100 block of South Prospect Street. After fleeing, Garvey made numerous phone calls threatening to harm the teens and himself.

Garvey was arraigned Saturday before District Judge Joseph Carmody in West Pittston and remanded to Luzerne County Correctional Facility in lieu of $25,000 straight bail.

A preliminary hearing is scheduled for July 21 in Central Court.

Jen Marckini, a Times Leader staff writer, may be reached at 829-7210.