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NANTICOKE — A woman was charged with endangering another person by turning off electrical service and furnace to an apartment.
City police charged Melissa Ann Brown, 40, of East Green Street, with reckless endangerment and criminal trespass. She was arraigned Thursday by District Judge Joseph Halesey in Hanover Township and jailed at the Luzerne County Correctional Facility for lack of $20,000 bail.
According to the criminal complaint:
The property owner/landlord of an apartment building on East Green street told police Dec. 22 he gave Brown, a tenant, an eviction notice.
In retaliation, Brown went to the basement and switched off breakers at the electrical panel turning off electrical service to an occupied second floor apartment. Brown resided on the first floor of the building.
The owner secured the basement door with screws preventing Brown from entering the basement.
Despite the basement door being screwed shut, police in the complaint say Brown continually found her way inside the basement to turn off electrical service to the second floor apartment.
Police advised Brown not to enter the basement.
On Thursday, the property owner called police with the same complaint alleging Brown turned off electrical service and furnace for the occupied second floor apartment.
The property owner claimed there was no heat for the second floor apartment the entire night when temperatures were below 30 degrees, endangering the tenants, the complaint says.