Crime & Courts

June 27, 2008

Avoca fire victim dies in burn unit Police Blotter

AVOCA – A woman who suffered first- and second-degree burns and smoke inhalation after flames ripped through a home at 920 Main St. died Wednesday at Lehigh Valley Burn Center in Allentown.

Anna E. Joyce, 79, suffered from first- and second-degree burns on her leg and smoke inhalation, Avoca Fire Chief Chris Van Luvender told The Times Leader earlier this week. Joyce’s caregiver, Tsiala Mozaidze, suffered smoke inhalation, he said.

The fire broke out shortly after midnight on Sunday at the Main Street home in Avoca. The fire began in a bedroom, according to the fire chief. The blaze was ruled accidental.

Firefighters were able to extinguish the fire within a half hour.

PLYMOUTH – Police are investigating a burglary at Family Dollar on West Main Street that was discovered early Wednesday morning.

Numerous pre-paid Tracfones and money were reported stolen from the store, police said.

Anyone with information about the burglary is asked to contact Plymouth police at 779-2147.

WILKES-BARRE – State police at Wyoming said a driver of a 2000 Jeep Cherokee Classic was charged Wednesday with following too closely after causing a three-vehicle crash while traveling in a construction zone on Route 309.

The crash occurred around 10 a.m. as the driver of the Jeep, 47-year-old William S. Fuhr, of Dallas, struck a 2001 Buick Century, which then struck a 2003 Toyota Corolla, according to the crash report.

Police said the other two vehicles slowed for stopped traffic entering the construction zone.

Nobody was injured in Wednesday’s crash, according to police.

WILKES-BARRE – City police reported the following:

Jessica Pachucki alleges her ex-boyfriend, 21-year-old Thomas Mink, of Wilkes-Barre, tried to force his way into her residence at 85 N. Meade St., according to police, and then created a loud disturbance at 11:52 p.m. Tuesday.

Citations of harassment and disorderly conduct were filed against Mink, police said.

Someone cut a fence to enter a South Diamond Street property, removing 13 sets of aluminum brackets valued at $625 each – a total of $8,125, police said. The theft happened at 1:05 p.m. Wednesday.

Melissa Jasler, of Wilkes-Barre, reported two juveniles damaged a window with a BB gun at 6 Maple Lane at 4 p.m. Wednesday, according to police.

One of the juveniles was located by officers and was turned over to his father’s custody, police said. The victim does not want to pursue prosecution, according to police.

• Police said a 66-year-old man, whose name wasn’t released, reported $5 was taken from him by force while he was walking in the 500 block of North Main Street at 1:28 a.m. Thursday.

Police said the man reported his assailant as a short male wearing a light-colored shirt and dark pants.

• Police said a man driving a blue SUV exposed himself in front of two women on South Main Street on Wednesday.

• Police said someone tampered with a door lock by filling the keyhole with an unknown substance at a home on Monroe Street on Wednesday.

• Police said James Finney, 48, of Wilkes-Barre, faces a criminal trespass charge after he was seen at a Midland Court residence without permission on Wednesday.

• A cell phone was reported stolen from a residence on Parkview Circle, police said.

HAZLETON – City police are investigating the theft of a lime green 2004 Kawasaki ATV model number KSF400A2ATV from the 800 block of Seybert Street between June 17 and 18.

Anyone with information is asked to call police at 459-4940.

LUZERNE COUNTY – Plans were recently finalized to conduct police operations this weekend in three towns in the county.

The Luzerne County Sobriety Checkpoint Program, administered through the Luzerne County Probation Services with funding provided by the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation, will be conducting the Sobriety Checkpoint/Roving Patrol.

Roving patrols, conducted jointly by Wright and Rice townships, will take place today. In addition, a Sobriety Checkpoint will be held in Kingston Township on Saturday. The operations by the Wright, Rice and Kingston township police departments will be dependent on weather conditions.

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