Crime briefs
September 10, 2002 Uniontown
Plate stolen
Sara Stump reported to police at 2:51 p.m. Saturday that her license plate was stolen at 46 Carlisle St. sometime in the last two weeks.
Uniontown
Car taken
James Loche reported to police at 8:43 a.m. Saturday that a man known to him took his 1985 Chevrolet Celebrity to be inspected a few days earlier and never returned it.
Uniontown
Window broken
Someone threw a rock through the front door window of Dick Rugh’s Auto Parts Engine at 285 E. Fayette St., said Uniontown police. The incident was reported 7:59 a.m. Saturday by employee Mike Sroka, said police.
North Union Twp.
Vehicle taken
A 2000 Yamaha Blaster Quad stolen from Brian Everly, 17, of Uniontown was found at about 6:50 a.m. Friday, said state police.
Fairchance
Woman harassed
State police said charged Michael Jordan, 24, of Fairchance for allegedly striking Melissa Malone, 22, of Fairchance and pulling her hair along Lyons Avenue at 11:30 a.m. Saturday.
Charges were filed with District Justice Randy Abraham, said police.
Menallen Twp.
No injuries
Christy Lynn Kitta of Fairbank was not injured in a one-car crash on New Salem Road at 4:41 p.m. Friday, said state police.
North Union Twp.
Stereo taken
A stereo was stolen from a vehicle belonging to Thomas W. Walls, 49, of 3 Effleston St., Uniontown, said state police. The stereo was reported stolen at 3:36 p.m. Friday, said police.
Dunbar Twp.
No one injured
Joshua Charles Miller of Carmichaels was not injured in a one-vehicle crash at 9:26 p.m. Thursday on West Crawford Avenue, said state police.
North Union Twp.
Two injured
Michael Merkosky Jr., 56, of 183 Old Route 51, Smock, and his wife, Lorraine C. Merkosky, 54, were injured in a two-car crash at 7:15 p.m. Friday on Oliver Road and Seaman Street, said state police. The other driver, Jonathan D. Tantlinger, 18, of 417 Lincoln St., Oliver, was not injured, said police.
Dunbar Twp.
Man harassed
Lawrence Martin of Dunbar said he was pushed by a man known to him 8:45 a.m. Friday on Route 119 near Butchko’s, said state police.
North Union Twp.
Bikes stolen
Three mountain bikes, were stolen from a storage building at the PennDOT headquarters between 1 p.m. Aug. 29 and 11 a.m. Sept. 1, said state police.
South Union Twp.
Vehicle damaged
Someone damaged the windshield of a vehicle owned by Rebecca Anderson of Roscoe between 12:30 and 11:30 a.m. Thursday, said state police.
North Union Twp.
Vehicle stolen
A dark green Chrysler Grand Voyager minivan belonging to David Wayne Springer of Hopwood was stolen from Springer’s Buttermilk Lane residence between 11 p.m. Aug. 30 and 8:15 a.m. Aug. 31, said state police.
Upper Tyrone Twp.
Two injured
Mary Ann Zieglar of Dilliner suffered moderate injuries, and Donna Conn of Scottdale suffered major injuries in a car crash on McClure Road at 3:36 p.m. Friday, said state police.
Uniontown
Woman assaulted
Richard Saluga was arrested for simple assault and harassment and released on $5,000 unsecured bond on the condition that he has no contact with his wife, Jane Saluga, said Uniontown police. Jane Saluga reported to police that her husband punched her in the face several times at 27 Madison Ave. Friday at 12:58, said police.
Uniontown
Tylenol theft
City police said Dan Jasko of Lincoln Street was cited for retail theft at VG Foodland on West Fayette Street at 10:15 p.m. Friday. Jasko was taken into custody by store security after he allegedly was seen putting some pills in his mouth, said police. Jasko said he was going to pay for the pills before he left the store, and he paid store manager Paul Thomas $4.29 for the bottle of pills, said police.
Jefferson Twp.
Car fire
State police said no one was injured when a 2001 Honda Civic operated by Jacob J. Stafire IV, 28, of Grindstone caught fire while he was driving on Elliott Road at 10:15 p.m. Friday. The car was destroyed.
Bentleyville
Cars painted
State police said that the following Bertram Street residents; Brian M. Callahan, 30, John R. Stankus, 60 and John Stankus, 78; all reported that between 8 p.m. Friday and 4:20 a.m. Saturday that their vehicles were coated with red and yellow spray paint.
South Union Twp.
Charges pending
State police said charges of simple assault are pending against a Brownsville man following an altercation in the parking area between Lowes and Kmart involving Joshua Michael Jolly of Uniontown, Nicole Whitney Seto of Smock and Brandon Patrick McDade of Brownsville on Thursday.
Redstone Twp.
Theft reported
Julie Chidester, 23, of Brownsville told state police at 4 p.m. Friday that someone entered her Hunters Ridge home and took $20.
Connellsville
Saw taken
Robert Edward Connors of Connellsville told state police that between 7:30 p.m. Friday and 7 a.m. Saturday his pickup truck was entered and a Partner K950 concrete saw was removed.
Wharton Twp.
Vandalism
Summit Inn Golf Course told state police that during the nighttime hours between Saturday and Sunday that someone used a vehicle to spin circles in the fairway of the number 3 hole on the golf course.
North Union Twp.
Accident with injuries
State police said injuries were reported in a three-vehicle accident at an intersection on Hopwood Coolspring Road at 5:06 p.m. Aug. 30. According to police, Heather L. Joseph, 19, of Hopwood struck the rear of a vehicle operated by Brian M. Zinn, 16, of Uniontown sending his vehicle into the path of a vehicle driven by Nicole M. Lapresta, 21, of Uniontown.
Joseph was not wearing her seatbelt and suffered moderate injuries to her face, chest and hands. Zinn received moderate injuries to his neck and back. And Lapresta reported injuries to her knee, ankle and wrists. Police also reported that Joseph was issued a traffic citation for her role in the accident.
Jefferson Twp.
Woman charged
Candace Ann Winwood, 24, of Grindstone was charged with harassment following an altercation with Tina Marie Cline, 40, of Grindstone at the Liptak Service Station at 8:45 a.m. Friday.
Bullskin Twp.
Woman charged
State police reported that charges of harassment were filed against Monica Eicher of Lemont Furnace after a road rage incident led to Eicher exiting her vehicle and allegedly striking Tanya Evans of Connellsville in the face at the intersection of Route 119 and Bellview Road on July 10.
South Union Twp.
Mailbox damaged
State police said that the unidentified homeowner of 45 Heritage Hills Road reported a damaged mailbox between 7 and 9 a.m. Friday.
South Union Twp.
Items taken
Sears at the Uniontown Mall told state police that an unknown white man took a portable stereo system and two two-way radios and met up with another unknown white male in the parking lot both fleeing the scene in a blue-green Cavalier at 1:30 p.m. Friday.
South Union Twp.
Accident
State police said no one was injured when vehicles operated by Ramond Grote of Uniontown and Robert Fisher of New Salem collided on South Mount Vernon Avenue at noon Friday.
North Union Twp.
Charges pending
State police said charges are pending against a Lemont Furnace man for fleeing the scene of an accident involving William Bryte of Uniontown on Main Street, Lemont Furnace on Aug. 23.
Connellsville Twp.
Man cited
John H. Pletcher, 48, of Everson was cited by state police for public drunkenness after he was found along Route 119 North in an intoxicated state at 9:45 p.m. Saturday.
Uniontown
Man arrested
City police arrested Harry F. Savage Sr., 46, of 18 Cinder Road, Uniontown, on charges alleging he fondled a 2-year-old girl on Aug. 28.
He was charged with indecent assault, endangering the welfare of children and intimidation of witnesses or victims and committed to the Fayette County Prison in lieu of a $100,000 percentage bond.
Detective Phillip Jones said he interviewed the victim and her mother, who reported that the incident occurred in a Prospect Street residence. According to a police report from the day of the incident, Savage was apprehended by Brownsville police while allegedly attempting to jump off a bridge after the girl’s mother confronted him about the alleged incident.
Uniontown
Robbery attempted
City police arrested a juvenile on charges of burglary and robbery for allegedly attempting to rob a man in his back yard Sunday.
Police said Charles Moore Jr. of South Grant Street reported that two males demanded money from him in his back yard at 7:55 p.m. He refused to comply with the demand and went in his house, but they followed him inside. He again refused to give them any money and they left.
Police spotted one of the suspects, a juvenile, in an alley behind Grant Street. During a foot chase, police said they saw the juvenile drop a black revolver. The juvenile was apprehended and taken to the police station. Police called his mother and said she refused to come to the station. He was taken to a juvenile detention center in Greensburg. The recovered gun had five rounds in its cylinder, police said. The incident remains under investigation.
Bullskin Twp.
Assault reported
Brian Keith Caldwell Jr. of Connellsville was arrested on charges of simple assault, terroristic threats, harassment and false imprisonment following an Aug. 27 incident along Breakneck Road, state police in Uniontown said. Caldwell allegedly pulled Teresa Lynn Cassell of Mill Run’s hair, attempted to restrain her by sitting on her, tackled her after she escaped and placed her in a headlock.
Lower Tyrone Twp.
Assault investigated
State police in Belle Vernon are investigating an incident in which two men were assaulted and rocks were thrown at vehicles as they fled 8:45 p.m. Saturday along Chaintown Road, just south of Cotton Road.
Police said Mathew Miller, 18, Levander Payne, 20, and John Atkins, 20, all from Pittsburgh were in Miller’s car and were being followed by Kenneth Pontiff, 19, and Deneeya Rizza, 18, both of Pittsburgh, in a car owned by Christine Pontiff, 50, of Pittsburgh. Samuel E. Thorpe, 26, of Dawson and James E. Lovasz III, 22, of Dickerson Run were stopped, attempting to fix Thorpe’s vehicle.
Police said two men who live in the area approached and yelled at the victims for stopping near their home and one punched Thorpe and Lovasz. Both suffered cuts of their faces. As they fled, the suspects allegedly threw rocks at the victims’ cars. The trunk lid and insider door panel on Miller’s car and the trunk lid on Pontiff’s car were damaged.
South Union Twp.
Burglary investigated
State police in Uniontown said an unknown person entered the Derrick Avenue home of Kevin M. Uphold, 44, and took a checkbook and information from several credit cards. The information was used to obtain more than $5,000 in cash and merchandise from the accounts. The accounts were also owned by Cynthia Uphold, 44, of Uniontown, police said. The incident remains under investigation. Police said anyone with information about it should call 724-439-7111.
Uniontown
Break-in reported
City police said the front door of The Medicine Shoppe at the intersection of Morgantown and Berkley streets was smashed and a phone line was found cut Monday at 2:35 a.m. The owner told police nothing appeared to be missing.
Uniontown
Burglary reported
City police said Brianna Zaccheus of Vance Street reported Sunday morning that $200 was taken from her purse in her home. She told police that a window had been opened sometime overnight.
Springfield Twp.
Two-vehicle accident
State police said no one was injured noon Sunday when Mary Brinker of Indian Head and Donna J. Bihun of Mill Run collided at the intersection of routes 711 and 381.
North Union Twp.
Citations issued
Brandy Lyn Johnson, 24, of Hopwood and Sue Ann Miller, 22, of Uniontown were cited for disorderly conduct following an incident involving a BB gun in front of 21 Hickory St., Phillips, at 6:50 p.m. Sunday, state police said.
Brownsville
Criminal mischief
Jolene Washnock, of 721 Lewis St., Brownsville, told police that while she was away on a month-long vacation someone broke four windowpanes at a house she owns at 723 Lewis St. The incident was reported Sunday at 3:30 p.m.
Brownsville
Theft
James Lewis of 212 Bank St., Brownsville, told police that someone took a Nextel 550 Plus Motorola phone from his vehicle. The phone is valued at $50. It was last seen in mid-August. The incident was reported at 12:55 p.m. Saturday.
Brownsville
Sticker stolen
Lance Rummell of 308 Euclid Ave. told Brownsville police that someone cut the registration sticker from his license plate. The incident was reported Saturday at 10:29 a.m.
Brownsville
Assault
Brownsville police cited Joseph Coburn, 25, of 47 Main St., West Brownsville, with simple assault, domestic violence, and terroristic threats following an incident at the Antique Grill involving Mary Patrick Friday at 1:29 a.m.