Police Blotter

SUGARLOAF TWP. – A Hazleton man was charged by township police for allegedly stealing steaks from a grocery store.

Michael Verbitsky, 21, of East Chapel Street, was arraigned and charged Friday with retail theft and criminal conspiracy, court records show. Verbitsky was jailed at Luzerne County Correctional Facility for lack of $10,000 bail.

Township police allege Verbitsky and Stacey Hvizda, 23, of Freeland, stole $175 worth of steaks from Goulds IGA, state Route 93, on June 5, according to the criminal complaint.

Hvizda is facing charges of retail theft and criminal conspiracy for her alleged role.

Wendi Konopke, 20, of Union Street, Inkerman, was picked up on a warrant in the area of 33 E. Jackson St. at 5:56 p.m. Thursday and found to be in possession of three hypodermic needles.

Albert Travis reported that someone stole his bank card, driver’s license and ACCESS card from his apartment at 60 Monroe St. between June 13 and Tuesday.

Yekaterina Scherbinina reported that someone stole her father’s silver 2000 Honda Civic – bearing Pennsylvania registration FRD 0522 – while it was parked at Rear 182 S. Franklin St. sometime between 5 a.m. and 10 a.m. Thursday.

Mike Chaback reported on Thursday that someone entered his unlocked vehicle and removed the registration, insurance cards and a passport at 1326 N. Washington St.

Israel Tlatenchi reported at 9:53 a.m. Thursday that someone removed two compressors from his vehicle at 24 Kulp Ave. One was a yellow Dewalt; the other was a rigid compressor. The overall value of the loss is approximately $1,800.

WILKES-BARRE – A California man was arrested by police on Thursday on evidence of drunken driving after a vehicle crash in a parking lot on North Pennsylvania Avenue.

Brian James McCann, 37, of Fairfax, was arraigned and charged with drunken driving and driving without a license. He was jailed at the county correction facility for lack of $10,000 bail.

Police observed a damaged vehicle outside the Turkey Hill Minit Market, North Street and North Pennsylvania Avenue, and McCann sitting in the passenger seat at about 10:20 p.m.

A witness said McCann turned onto North Street to enter the parking lot and struck a curb.

McCann told police he is a world traveler involved in international sales. He was taken to Wilkes-Barre General Hospital, where he jumped off a table and ran towards a door.

Someone spray-painted graffiti on the pump house building near the Drums Elementary/Middle School sometime late Tuesday or early Wednesday morning, police said.

A 76-year-old Beech Mountain Lakes woman reported she received suspicious telephone calls to her Snow Valley Drive residence. The caller stated they were a law enforcement official and wanted to talk about identity theft.

A 39-year-old Hazleton woman reported she observed a man and woman having a domestic argument at Butler Township Community Park on Sunday afternoon. When she intervened, the man pushed her down and the pair fled.

Police located and identified the man involved in the fight the next day. Theodore S. Kubida Jr., 25, of St. Johns Road, Drums, was cited for harassment, police said.

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