Crime briefs
August 29, 2002 South Union Twp.
Man cited
Howard Cruse, 23, of Pittsburgh was cited for harassment for allegedly hitting Rachel Anderson, 19, of Uniontown in the nose Monday at 4 p.m. at a Lombard Street residence, state police said.
East Huntingdon Twp.
Window broken
State police in Greensburg said a BB was fired at the windshield of a truck at McIlvaine Trucking on old Route 119 on Sunday or Monday.
Georges Twp.
Rifles stolen
James Ashton of Smithfield told state police that between 8 a.m. and 10 p.m. Aug. 17 his Haydentown Hill Road was entered and three long rifles stolen.
North Union Twp.
Door damaged
The Fayette County Housing Authority told state police that between Aug. 14 and 15 an apartment door in Lemon Wood Acres was damaged with an unknown object.
Normalville
Garage entered
Paul Romesburg, 79, of Normalville told state police that between noon Friday and 3 p.m. Sunday his Foxburg Road garage was entered and a variety of items removed.
German Twp.
Window broken
Andrew Hairston, 39, of Ronco told state police that between Aug. 19 and 25 a window on his Stevenson Street home was broken out and the residence entered, several items were taken.
Dunbar Twp.
Missing girl
State police said that the family of Ashley Noel Henderson, 16, of Connellsville reported that she has been missing since leaving her West Penn Avenue home at 6:30 p.m. Friday. Anyone with information on the whereabouts of Henderson is asked to call trooper Sondra L. Klepsky at 724-439-7111.
Bullskin Twp.
Theft
Phares Enterprises of Pittsburgh and Carl E. Wiltrout, 64, of Connellsville told state police that while their trailers were parked at a service station at 8:57 p.m. Sunday the following items were removed: three tie down straps, 21 Bungee straps, six chains and six ratchet binders.
Jefferson Twp.
Couple arrested
State police reported that a husband and wife were brought before District Justice Lee Watson Monday for a preliminary hearing on charges related to the robbery of the former Promistar Bank (now Dry Tavern First National Bank) at 2:30 p.m. Jan. 25.
Rudolph Todd Haladyna of Clarksburg was charged with robbery, conspiracy to commit robbery, theft, receiving stolen property and conspiracy to tamper with or fabricate physical evidence. Kristy Lynn Haladyna of Clarksburg was charged with conspiracy to commit robbery, receiving stolen property, tampering with or fabricating physical evidence and conspiracy to commit tampering with or fabricating physical evidence.
Police noted that all charges were held over for court. The FBI and state police jointly investigated the incident leading to the arrests of the Haladynas.
Jefferson Twp.
Public drunkenness
State police reported that a 37-year-old Washington man was found drunk at the intersection of Route 188 and Ice Box Road at 10 p.m. Saturday.
Franklin Twp.
Burglary
Melinda Leeann Headlee, 29, of Waynesburg told state police at 3:30 p.m. Sunday that her Smith Creek Road home was entered and approximately $200 in change was removed.
West Newton
Homicide
Washington County Coroner Tim Warco reported that Anthony Wayne Jewett, 42, of North Water Street, West Newton, died at 7:59 p.m. Monday as a result of stab wounds following an altercation with a neighbor in his residence. The Monongahela Valley Hospital Emergency Room notified Warco’s office when Jewett was brought in with a stab wound and lacerations.
Warco listed cause of death as homicide, massive bleeding due to the stab wound and lacerations. The incident is under investigation by West Newton Police and Westmoreland County Detectives.
Brownsville
Recovered vehicle
Brownsville police found a white Dodge Dakota 4×4 near the borough garage Monday that had been reported stolen. The vehicle was recovered at 4:35 a.m. It had been reported stolen from Rosso Roofing of Uniontown, with the report made to state police.
Brownsville
Boy injured
An 8-year-old boy, Eugene Miller, of 1501 Seneca St., Brownsville, received minor injuries when he rode his bike into the path of a car on Second Street Saturday. Miller was thrown from his bike when it collided with a vehicle driven by Rosina Endsley of 1715 Sheridan Ave. He was wearing a bike helmet and received cuts and scrapes. He was taken to Brownsville General Hospital for treatment. The incident occurred at 11:06 a.m.
Uniontown
Man arrested
James Edward Lecorchick, 36, 205 S. Mount Vernon Ave., Uniontown, was arrested, arraigned and committed to the Fayette County Prison in lieu of $500,000 straight cash bond on charges alleging he physically abused a 2-year-old girl.
City police detective Phillip Jones charged Lecorchick with two counts of aggravated assault, two counts of simple assault, recklessly endangering another person and endangering the welfare of a child for allegedly causing numerous injuries to Christina Benedetto since June.
Lecorchick lived with Linda Benedetto and her three children, including Christina, when the alleged abuse occurred.
In an affidavit of probable cause, Jones said Fayette County Children and Youth Services informed him on Tuesday that the girl was in Uniontown Hospital’s emergency room.
A doctor told Jones that the girl had signs of abuse like severe bruises, a month-old fracture of her collarbone, and a two-month-old broken leg.
The broken bones had begun to heal. Bruises were visible on the girl’s head, face, back, stomach, arms and legs.
The mother of the girl and her two sons, who are 8 and 9 years old, told police that Lecorchick hit the girl, kicked her and pushed her into objects and onto the floor at their current home and at their previous home on South Mount Vernon Avenue.
One of the boys said he heard something break on one occasion when Lecorchick allegedly twisted the girl’s arms behind her back.
Lecorchick was also interviewed and he admitted pushing the girl into a door jamb, causing bruises to her face and head, and hearing a bone snap while pulling her by her arms.
Jones said the suspect admitted to causing most of the bruises over the last five months.
Uniontown
Man assaulted
City police said Kevin Price Jr., 18, of Uniontown reported that he was approached by three males at 5:10 a.m. Wednesday while he was walking along West Main Street. While one of them asked him for a cigarette, they surrounded him and one of them began poking him with a sharp object. He managed to flee and call police from a pay phone on East Main Street, where ambulance personnel treated cuts on his face, police said. Officers patrolled the area, but could not locate the suspects.
Bullskin Twp.
Car stolen
State police in Uniontown said someone stole a maroon 1989 Ford Escort owned by Melissa Swift of Connellsville at 5 p.m. Tuesday from a gas pump at the Sheetz at the intersection of routes 119 and 982 while she was inside paying for gas.
McClellandtown
Burglary investigated
State police are investigating a burglary at a Main Street home that was broken into between Aug. 15 and 19.
Long Branch
Two-vehicle accident
State police in Belle Vernon said Florence Potega of Belle Vernon and Amanda Bevan of Roscoe were involved in an accident at the intersection of Route 88 and Dally Road at 4 p.m. Tuesday. Neither driver was injured.
Menallen Twp.
Burglary reported
State police in Uniontown said someone stole a commercial gas hedge trimmer and a commercial extension cord owned by Freda Manchas of Fairmont, W.Va., from a shed along Searights-Herbert Road between March 24 and Tuesday.
Franklin Twp.
Hit-and-run reported
State police in Belle Vernon said Charles Kuhn Jr. of Fairbank struck a fence at house 166 along Smock Road at 2:55 a.m. Wednesday.
Franklin Twp.
Car fire
State police said a car driven by Eve Grow of Grindstone caught fire Tuesday at 9:30 a.m. on a state road. She had two passengers and nobody was injured.
Belle Vernon
DUI patrols
State police in Belle Vernon said two driving under the influence saturation patrols, which are part of the Crash Reduction in Southwestern Pennsylvania (CRISP) program, will be conducted in areas with high rates of DUI incidents during the Labor Day weekend and throughout September. The Belle Vernon station’s territory includes parts of Fayette, Washington, Westmoreland and Allegheny counties.
Uniontown
Three-vehicle accident
City police said several people involved in a three-vehicle accident Tuesday at 2:50 p.m. at the intersection of Searights Avenue and Butler Street were taken to Uniontown Hospital after complaining about neck and back pain. The drivers involved were Shequita Bryant, 20, of Allison, Patricia Leighaber, 56, of Hopwood and Lacresha Long, 18, of Pershing Court.
Long, three passengers in her car, Bryant and a passenger in her car were transported to the hospital.
Uniontown
Car stolen
Centennial Chevrolet reported that a four-door, silver 2002 Chevy Tracker being used by a salesman was stolen from the rear of his North Gallatin Avenue apartment Monday night, city police said.
Uniontown
Phone stolen
City police said Timothy Mahoney reported that his Nokia cell phone was stolen from his truck in the Byers Market lot along Connellsville Street on Monday.
North Union Twp.
Vehicles crash
State police said no one was injured when vehicles operated by Kelly Dean, 36, of South Park and Danielle Mullen of Uniontown crashed along Route 51 July 17.
German Twp.
Cars damaged
Travis Glisan, 20, of Farmington and Kenneth Sullenberger, 52, of Smithfield told state police that someone damaged their vehicles along Maciasz Road between 11:55 p.m. and 12:05 a.m. Saturday.
North Union Twp.
ATV stolen
State police said someone cut a cable owned by John Saluga, 55, of Uniontown and then stole a 2002 black and white Yamaha all terrain vehicle owned by Christopher Lewis, 20, of Uniontown from a storage shed at Saluga’s North Pine Ridge Road residence between 10 p.m. August 13 and 6 p.m. August 14.
South Union Twp.
CD player stolen
According to state police someone broke into a vehicle owned by Allan Matthews of Uniontown and stole a compact disc player and a set of two-way radios Wednesday between midnight and 6 a.m. as it was parked along Seventh Street.
Georges Twp.
Car flips
Sate police said Jennifer Williams of Smithfield sustained minor injuries when the vehicle she was driving crashed and rolled over along Weaver Mill Road Wednesday at 7 a.m.
Dunbar Twp.
TV stolen
Ronald Cunningham Jr. of Connellsville told state police someone stole an 18-inch television set and other household items from his vehicle parked at his 1707 West Crawford Ave. home between 10 p.m. Tuesday and 5 a.m. Wednesday.
Springhill Twp.
Window broken
State police said someone broke a window of a vehicle owned by James Justilio, 68, of Point Marion at his 4854 Morgantown Rd. residence Wednesday at 3:30 a.m.
North Union Twp.
Gun stolen
Jason Smith, 29, of Hopwood told state police that on August 17 he lent his car from his Woodstock Avenue home to a man known to him and when it was returned a Remmington 30-06 rifle was missing from the vehicle.
Springhill Twp.
Buildings shot
Someone fired shots and damaged two Albert Gallatin Area School District buildings in separate incidents.
Several windows, a side door and the windowpane surrounding that door were damaged when someone fired at Albert Gallatin South Middle School overnight Tuesday. Acting Superintendent Walter Vicinelly said he was advised of the incident Wednesday around 4 a.m.
In the other instance, Vicinelly said, someone shot from the road into the cafeteria windows of Friendship Hill Elementary School, which sits next to A.G. South along Route 166 outside New Geneva, the weekend of Aug. 18. Vicinelly said a wall in the cafeteria also was damaged.
Vicinelly said no one was injured in either incident. He said state police were called both times to investigate, and he did not know if the two incidents are connected.
Vicinelly said school officials are reviewing security assignments and informing custodians and staff to be cautious of anyone outside the building who does not belong.