TimesLeader.com

October 27, 2008

Hazleton shooting suspects in custody Police Blotter

HAZLETON – City police confirmed that suspects are in custody in connection with a shooting that occurred Sunday evening. Further details about the incident weren’t released.

LAUREL RUN – At least one person was transported to the hospital after a single-vehicle crash on state Route 309 near Laurel Run Road around 9:30 p.m. on Sunday, according to a Luzerne County dispatch supervisor. The extent of the victim’s injuries was unknown.

WILKES-BARRE – Fire broke out around 1 a.m. on Sunday at 49 Brown St., but firefighters had it under control by about 3:45 a.m., city fire Assistant Chief James Clarke said.

Twenty-two firefighters battled the blaze, which started on the third floor, Clarke said. The cause is still under investigation, he said.

BUCK TWP. – Lawrence W. King, of White Haven, was arrested on suspicion of drunk driving and charged with harassment and traffic violations after state police in Wyoming responded to a reported domestic dispute in the area of Laurel Road at 3:30 a.m. Saturday. King’s wife, Robin King, told police her husband grabbed her by the neck, police said.

BUTLER TWP. – Paul Cybulaski, 49, of the Wapwallopen section of Conyngham Township, was cited with disorderly conduct and reckless driving after what police described as a road rage incident Friday afternoon.

Police said Cybulaski allegedly began tailgating another vehicle, which he passed, and then tried to cause a collision with the other vehicle and force it off the road.

BUTLER TWP. – Maribeth Lawrence, 46, of Drums, was arrested on suspicion of driving under the influence around 9:45 p.m. Friday after she was stopped for traffic violations, state police reported.

She was southbound on state Route 309 near North Old Turnpike Road when state troopers from the Wyoming barracks stopped her 2008 Gray Toyota Solara for speeding, failing to use a turn signal and traveling within a signal lane. Troopers said they noticed signs of intoxication and transported her to Wilkes-Barre General Hospital for a blood-alcohol test. The investigation is continuing.

DALLAS TWP. – Eight Dallas School District students and one non-Dallas School District student were suspected of underage drinking at the Dallas Homecoming Dance at Dallas High School between 9 and 10:45 p.m. Saturday, township police said.

All nine students were tested for alcohol consumption and all were found to have consumed alcohol, police said. They will be cited with underage drinking, police said.

EAST UNION TWP. – Someone entered the home of Rita Louise Volosin, 92, of 92 3rd St., Oneida, between Tuesday afternoon and Sunday morning and removed a file safe and a corduroy jacket from Volosin’s bedroom, police said.

Anyone with information should call state police in Frackville at 874-5300.

HAZLETON – For the third time in two months, city police arrested Charon Faith Crowder, of 151 N. Wyoming St., on assault charges.

Police said Crowder was taken into custody on Wyoming Street at about 11 p.m. Friday and charged with aggravated assault related to a stabbing at a Keifer Avenue residence.

According to prison records, Crowder was also charged with possession of instruments of crime, simple assault, reckless endangerment and harassment. He was arraigned before District Judge Joseph Zola and lodged at the Luzerne County Correctional Facility for lack of $100,000 bail on those charges and $5,000 bail on a charge of violating a Protection From Abuse order.

According to court records, Crowder was previously arrested and charged with simple assault, harassment, making terroristic threats, disorderly conduct and resisting arrest after police responded to a domestic dispute on Aug. 28.

Charges of resisting arrest and disorderly conduct were waived to Luzerne County Court and the other charges were dismissed. He was released on $2,500 unsecured bail.

Crowder was then arrested and charged with simple assault, making terroristic threats, harassment and disorderly conduct after an incident involving a knife at the North Manhattan Court home of a female victim on Sept. 27.

Charges of making terroristic threats and harassment were waived to Luzerne County Court and the other charges were withdrawn. He was released on $10,000 unsecured bail.

HAZLETON – City police reported the following:

• Jason Petrosky, with a last known address of 110 S. Sherman Court, Hazleton, was cited with disorderly conduct after an incident in the area of the 100 block of South Church Street at about 4:49 a.m. Tuesday, police said.

• Police arrested a 16-year-old boy and cited him with harassment after responding to a reported fight in the Giant Food Store parking lot, 70 S. Locust St., at about 5:47 p.m. Friday, police said.

• Police are seeking information about two incidents in which women had their windshields smashed.

Francisca Duran, of James Street, reported that someone smashed the windshield of her 1999 Jeep Cherokee sometime between 11 p.m. Saturday and 8 a.m. Sunday.

And Daisy Mendez reported that someone smashed the windshield of her green Honda Civic while it was parked in the area of Church and Maple streets between 9 p.m. Saturday and 9 a.m. Sunday.

Anyone with information should call police at 459-2005.

HAZLE TWP. – State police in Hazleton are seeking witnesses to a crash that occurred on state Route 93 at Pecora Drive at about 6:50 a.m. Saturday.

The crash occurred when Timothy L. Deutsch, 38, of Hazleton, was driving a red 1997 Chevrolet S-10 pickup north on Route 93 and struck a red 2001 Pontiac Sunfire, driven by Aaron T. Quiggle, 19, of White Haven, in the area of the front driver-side tire, police said.

Both drivers allege that the other ran a red light at the intersection, police said.

Deutsch, who owns a towing company, had both vehicles towed from the scene. Neither operator notified police of the incident as required by state law, police said.

Anyone who witnessed the crash is asked to call police at 459-3890.

HAZLE TWP. – Jimmy Martinez, 21, of Hazleton, was arrested on suspicion of drunk driving during a traffic stop after state police in Hazleton say they observed him driving a maroon Chevrolet sedan north on Laurel Street at a high rate of speed and fail to stop for a stop sign at 22nd Street.

The vehicle rose and lowered as it crossed over 22nd Street, causing it to scrape the ground, creating sparks, police said.

Martinez failed field sobriety tests and drunk driving charges are pending results of a blood-alcohol test, police said.

Backseat passenger Nelson Diaz, 19, of the Drums section of Butler Township, was cited with underage drinking, police said.

WHITE HAVEN – John Siar, 70, of Jim Thorpe, was arrested on suspicion of drunk driving after, state police in Hazleton say, he was driving east in the westbound lanes of Interstate 80 at about 11:35 p.m. Saturday when his vehicle traveled off the roadway and became stuck on the median near mile marker 271.6.

WILKES-BARRE – Police are investigating three incidents of reported tire slashing to vehicles over the weekend in residential areas.

Two of the incidents happened on Saturday, according to news releases from city police.

William Muller told police someone slashed two tires on his 2007 Dodge Nitro in front of 115 Walker St., police said. Someone slashed a tire on Charles Eckenrode’s 1997 Mercury Tracer at 915 S. Franklin St.

On Friday night, police received a report from a woman who said someone sliced the tires of her vehicle on Barney Street, police said.

Also on the same street, two people reported damaged vehicle tires on Saturday afternoon.

WILKES-BARRE – City police reported the following:

• Robert Phillips was cited with harassment after he allegedly entered the kitchen of an establishment on North Pennsylvania Avenue at 1:38 a.m. Sunday, began eating food and physically confronted Wayne Prutzman after Prutzman ordered him out of the kitchen, police said.

• Joshua Miller was arrested and charged with violating a Protection From Abuse order after Cynthia Harris reported at 11:42 p.m. Saturday that Miller struck her at a Hanover Street location, police said.

• Solon Fenner, of 180 S. Washington St., Wilkes-Barre, was arrested and charged with violating a Protection From Abuse order after Shirley Fenner, of 102 Hillside St., Wilkes-Barre, reported that he called her at about 10:30 p.m. Saturday and went to her residence at about 8 a.m. Sunday in violation of the order, police said.

• Susan Funket, of 308 Bowman St., reported at 10:29 a.m. Sunday that someone removed her bright green 2004 American Products Edge 90, valued at $800, from her yard.

Police say charges will be filed against a woman who was found in possession of crack cocaine and drug paraphernalia at Pickering Street and Marlborough Avenue on Friday.

Holly English, 36, was stopped at the intersection after officers responded to a suspicious vehicle in the area, police said. Police said she was found in possession of pills and a round container of suspected crack cocaine, a crack pipe along with other drug paraphernalia.

A woman alleged John Michael Gotshall, 28, of Plymouth, choked her during a domestic dispute on Sambourne Street on Saturday afternoon, police said.

Gotshall surrendered to police at Wilkes-Barre police headquarters and was placed in Luzerne County Correctional Facility to await a preliminary hearing, according to police. The female received medical treatment for her injuries, police said.

Officers responded to a complaint of a man entering a window of a Butler Street residence with a gun in his hand just after 3 p.m. Saturday, police said.

Upon arrival, police observed Jason Sninsky, 22, of Wilkes-Barre, in the area and matching the physical description of the suspect, police said. Sninsky told police he and his friends were playing with airsoft guns.

Sninsky was cited for disorderly conduct for causing a disturbance, annoyance and alarm by his activities, police said.

A business reported 10 leather coats were removed from a store on South Main Street on Saturday afternoon, police said. The value of the stolen property was $2,499.82.