Sep 25, 2009 6 min read

Two suspects were arraigned and a third had his preliminary hearing continued this week in separate and unrelated criminal cases, according to records recently filed in all three offices of the county’s Magisterial District Judges. Man charged with aggravated assault

A Nemacolin man was arraigned Tuesday and charged with several criminal counts stemming from allegations that he assaulted a woman with a knife at his residence.

Cumberland Township Police officers charged Shane Baker, 24, with one felony count each of aggravated assault and flight to avoid apprehension, one misdemeanor count each of recklessly endangering another person, prohibitive offensive weapon and retaliation against witness or victim, and one summary count of disorderly conduct.

According to the criminal complaint, police officers were dispatched to Baker’s residence at 4:40 p.m. Tuesday after receiving a report from 911 of a physical altercation involving Baker and a woman. Officers arrived at the scene and observed a vehicle leaving the residence.

Police talked to a witness at the house, who reported that Baker and the woman were in the vehicle and were heading toward Waynesburg, the complaint states.

Police left the residence to find the vehicle and after they were unable to find it they returned to the house; the witness told police there was no physical confrontation between Baker and the woman, and that the two had only been arguing, according to reports.

Police then interviewed a neighbor who stated that she observed Baker and the woman arguing outside the house, and then saw them enter the house.

The neighbor then observed the woman and several other people exit the house and the woman had a heavily bandaged arm. The group then drove off in the vehicle, the complaint states.

The witness that police initially interviewed then reported that the woman did get a cut from a knife after Baker had accidentally cut her while he was cutting carrots, according to reports.

Police searched the area for Baker but was unable to locate him. They went to Southwest Regional Medical Center in Waynesburg and interviewed the woman, who was being treated for a knife wound; the woman told police Baker had accidentally cut her with a knife and she did not want to press any charges against Baker because she claimed it was an accident, the complaint states.

Police later received a call indicating that Baker had arrived at his residence; they went to the house and arrested Baker without incident. Police found the knife that was used in the incident and placed it into evidence.

Baker was arraigned before Magisterial Justice Glenn Bates and was released after posting $20,000 10 percent bail. His preliminary hearing has been scheduled for Oct. 1.

Suspect arrested for burglary, assault

A Waynesburg man was arraigned Tuesday on charges that he entered an apartment and repeatedly punched another man.

Waynesburg Borough Police officers arraigned Benjamin A. Kiger, 34, on one felony count of burglary, one misdemeanor count of simple assault and one summary count of harassment following an incident that allegedly occurred at an apartment on Morris Street in Waynesburg on Monday.

According to the criminal complaint, Police responded to a report of an altercation that occurred at the apartment at 9:45 p.m. Monday between Kiger and the alleged victim, James Temple.

Temple told police that he was sitting on the couch in the living room when Kiger entered through the front door, ran to the living room and punched him in the face multiple times with closed fists, and then left the premises, the complaint states.

A witness confirmed Temple’s story, and Temple, the witness and another witness all reported that Kiger was intoxicated at the time of the incident, police said.

Police said during questioning they observed that Temple was bleeding and had sustained injuries to his face as a result of the incident. Temple requested to be treated for his injuries by EMS Southwest Ambulance, according to reports.

After speaking with police, Temple was then transported to Southwest Regional Medical Center to be treated for his injuries, police said.

Kiger turned himself in on Tuesday and was arraigned on the charges before Magisterial District Judge Lou Dayich. He was released on $1,000 unsecured bail. His preliminary hearing has been scheduled for Oct. 8.

Hearing continued for suspect in drug case

The preliminary hearing for a Greensboro man arrested for several drug-related charges following an arrest earlier this year by the Greene County District Attorney’s office was continued Thursday.

County detectives formally charged Bruce Robert Clites, 23, with one felony count of possession with intent to deliver a controlled substance and two misdemeanor counts of possession of a controlled substance and one misdemeanor count of possession of drug paraphernalia,

The charges were filed on July 23 following an investigation in which authorities allegedly found Clites to be in possession of drugs and paraphernalia at his residence in April.

According to the criminal complaint, a Greene County probation officer reported that he went to Clites’ house on South 88 Road in Greensboro on April 30 to locate him for not reporting to the probation office after being paroled from the Greene County Jail one week earlier.

The complaint states that Clites was on probation after serving a sentence for theft.

The probation officer identified himself to Clites and entered the house, and while inside he observed an unopened bag of insulin syringes on the kitchen counter. He then told Clites he was going to be searched, and Clites emptied his pockets and placed a bag on the table that contained 18 bags of suspected heroin, the complaint states.

The officer continued to search the house and found 45 empty bags of suspected heroin, five unknown pills and drug paraphernalia in various rooms throughout the house, the complaint states.

Clites was arrested for the parole violation and was placed in Greene County Jail, according to reports.

The seized items were reportedly sent to the Pennsylvania State Police crime lab in Greensburg, which confirmed that the drugs found were heroin and alphrazolam, a controlled substance.

Clites was arraigned on the charges before Magisterial District Judge Lee Watson and was released on $10,000 unsecured bail.

His preliminary hearing was initially scheduled for Thursday but has been continued until further notice.