Crime & Courts

November 20, 2009

Police report two men rob woman of purse Police Blotter

WILKES-BARRE – City police are investigating a strong-armed robbery that occurred Thursday night.

Police said Chi Vu, of East South Street, was walking around 8:30 p.m. in the area of 170 S. Franklin St. when she was approached by two white male suspects who forcibly removed her purse and fled.

One of the men was described as wearing a black jacket with fur around the hood. The other was described wearing a gray sweatshirt.

The robbery occurred four hours after 18-year-old Edward Maye, of South River Street, was robbed and stabbed by two men with a similar description in an alleyway near his dormitory at Wilkes University around 4:20 p.m., said police Lt. Steve Olshefski. (See story, Page 8A.)

Police are investigating whether the two robberies are related, he said. Anyone with information is asked to contact Wilkes-Barre Police Department at 826-8106

WILKES-BARRE – A man was arraigned on Thursday on charges he stole a pizza employee’s wallet and cell phone in 2003.

Jason Joseph Jenceleski, 27, whose last known address was Fellows Avenue, Hanover Township, was charged with theft, receiving stolen property, public drunkenness and two counts of disorderly conduct. He was released on $2,000 unsecured bail.

Police said a pizza delivery employee parked his vehicle on South Franklin Street to deliver a pizza on May 18, 2003. When the employee returned to his vehicle, Jenceleski was sitting inside the car, the criminal complaint says.

Police said in the criminal complaint Jenceleski ran with the employee’s wallet and cell phone.

A preliminary hearing is scheduled for Dec. 8 in Wilkes-Barre Central Court.

WILKES-BARRE – City police reported the following incidents:

An unknown person entered a South Empire Street residence and stole pipes just before 9 a.m. Wednesday.

Rhonda Walters, of Wilkes-Barre, reported a female suspect known to her attempted to strike her at 112 Reese St. on Sept. 26. The victim told police she did not want to pursue criminal charges.

Julie Wilcox reported at 6:10 p.m. Wednesday that a man in his early 20s engaged her in conversation and then stole her purse in the area of Harry Street and North Pennsylvania Avenue.

Sam Werthimer, of Spring Valley, N.Y., reported on Nov. 11 that Anthony Fowler, 28, of Wilkes-Barre, entered 425 S. Franklin St. after being evicted and stayed in a vacant apartment on Nov. 11. Fowler will be charged with criminal trespass.

• A fugitive from Arkansas was captured when he was found sleeping in an abandoned vehicle on Winter Lane on Wednesday.

Michael Hazen Jr., 24, was apprehended at about 11:42 p.m. when he was found inside a Ford Windstar. Hazen was jailed at the Luzerne County Correctional Facility for lack of $5,000 bail.

An extradition hearing will be scheduled in Luzerne County Court.

• A windshield on a van, owned by Carpet Clearance, at Hazle Avenue and Nicholson Street, was damaged by a pellet on Wednesday.

SLOCUM TWP. – State police at Shickshinny investigated a two-vehicle crash on Alden Mountain Road, Route 3006, around 6 p.m. Wednesday.

John Benjamin Ward, 18, of Nanticoke, driver of a 1999 Nissan Sentra, was traveling north when he failed to negotiate a sharp curve in the roadway and went into the opposite lane and into the path of a 1999 Oldsmobile Alero, police said.

Police said the Oldsmobile, driven by Melissa Phillips, 18, of Freeland, was traveling south.

No injuries were reported, police said. Both vehicles sustained severe damage. Ward will be cited with summary traffic violations.

HANOVER TWP. – Township police reported the following:

• Scott Shovlin, of Newport Street, reported that someone entered a 2004 Hyundai and removed several CDs, loose change and a Christmas gift from the vehicle after 2 a.m. Tuesday.

Anyone with information is asked to contact township police at 825-1254.

• A township man was arrested by police on evidence of drunken driving after a crash on Goeringer Avenue on Wednesday.

Police said Joseph Salusky, of Goeringer Avenue, struck two parked vehicles at about 11 p.m. Salusky showed signs of intoxication and was taken to Wilkes-Barre General Hospital for a blood alcohol test, police said.

UNION TWP. – State police at Shickshinny said several printers, copiers, scanners and fax machines were missing from One Stop Mart, state Route 239, on Wednesday. Police said the machines were delivered to the business on Sunday night.

Anyone with information is asked to contact state police at Shickshinny at 542-4117.

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