Click here to subscribe today or Login.
Nicholas Policare and Andre Edwards accused in beating and death of Joseph Lesh.
PITTSTON – The two men charged in Sunday’s beating and strangulation death of a West Pittston man have a history of violent behavior and alcohol use, according to court records.
Nicholas Policare, 19, of rear 10 Defoe St., Pittston, and Andre Edwards, 31, of 125 William St., Pittston, were arrested Sunday and charged with criminal homicide, aggravated assault and criminal conspiracy in connection with the death of Joseph Lesh, 25.
Police discovered Lesh’s lifeless, bloody body – with the clothesline rope that asphyxiated him still wrapped around his neck – on the side of Edwards’ home early Sunday morning. Luzerne County District Attorney Jacqueline Musto Carroll has said alcohol fueled the incident in which the three men allegedly argued and then fought before the incident escalated to homicide.
Policare’s list of criminal charges in the county began when he was 16; he was found not guilty of a charge of using tobacco in a Plains Township school. He was found guilty of disorderly conduct in Duryea and Pittston after incidents in those municipalities in June and August 2006, respectively. A disorderly conduct charge from Plains Township police in October 2006 was withdrawn.
In May 2007, Policare was found guilty of possession of alcohol by a minor. In September of that year, he was found not guilty of harassment and disorderly conduct. In March 2008, he again was found guilty of possession of alcohol by a minor as well as disorderly conduct, public drunkenness and harassment.
The 2007 and 2008 charges were filed by Pittston police. All charges filed thus far were addressed in magisterial courts. Then, earlier this year, in March, Policare was charged with simple assault, criminal mischief and harassment after an early-morning incident at a Mill Street home in Pittston.
The homeowner alleged Policare was among friends of her son’s whom she found at the home playing video games after returning from an evening out. She alleged Policare became boisterous and belligerent, initially refused to leave, damaged walls by punching them and punched her boyfriend in the eye before fleeing.
Policare was still on probation in connection with a guilty plea to the simple assault charge when he was arrested Sunday. Other terms of the plea agreement he entered into with the District Attorney’s Office included writing a letter of apology to the assault victim, paying fines and restitution, performing 15 hours of community service and attending and completing anger management classes.
Edwards’ criminal history in the area began in July 2005, when he was charged with and later pled guilty to disorderly conduct/engaged in fighting, filed by Old Forge police. He lived in Scranton at the time, having later moved to Kingston, and then to Pittston about three months ago.
In May 2006, Throop police charged him with criminal mischief/tampering with property, burglary and criminal trespass. The latter two charges were withdrawn and Edwards pled guilty to criminal mischief. Charges of theft by unlawful taking, public drunkenness and disorderly conduct filed by Scranton police in February 2007 were dismissed.
Then in July 2007, Plains Township police charged Edwards with one count each of simple assault, resisting arrest, public drunkenness and harassment and four counts of disorderly conduct after an incident at The Woodlands nightclub complex.
Police said Edwards was screaming profanities at a group of women. When arrested, Edwards kicked an officer, damaged the door of a police cruiser and tried to kick out the rear window after being placed in the car, court records show.
He was sentenced to two to 12 months and later pay restitution to police, maintain employment, refrain from drugs and alcohol and have no contact with the victim.
Neighbors of Edwards said they didn’t know him well, if at all, and were shocked by events Sunday. Still, most felt safe in their neighborhood and believe the homicide was an isolated incident.
Osmond Miranda, who lives in the apartment below Edwards’ third-floor residence, said Edwards was relatively quiet. He also said he slept through the entire homicide incident and didn’t notice anything unusual until he saw police tape in his backyard later that morning.
A single bouquet of yellow and white daisies with one tangerine-colored carnation had been left on the steps leading from the street to the complex lawn.
Residents at Lincoln Heights Apartments were all inside the facility early Monday evening.
One elderly resident returning to her apartment from her car declined to give her name but said she was shocked by the homicide. She wasn’t, however, fearful.
“Nobody wants anything to happen like that. But it can happen anywhere,” she said.