Dunbar man waives charges By Patty Yauger
CONNELLSVILLE – A Dunbar man who jumped into the Youghiogheny River in May to avoid being served an arrest warrant by police, will have the matter heard by a Fayette County judge. Ronald D. Regish III, 23, is charged with single misdemeanor counts of disorderly conduct and resisting arrest in connection with the May 3 incident.
Prior to the start of his Thursday hearing before Magisterial District Judge Ronald Haggerty Jr., Regish agreed to waive the charges to Fayette County Court.
According to police, Regish had allegedly failed to pay fines to the magisterial court, which prompted Haggerty to issue a warrant for his arrest.
When state constables Albert “Rocky” Younkin, Hubie Coleman and a third constable, who had an unrelated warrant for his arrest, went to an East Patterson residence to serve the court documents, Regish ran from the house and jumped in the river.
For nearly three hours, several law enforcement agencies with the assistance of the city fire department and New Haven Hose Volunteer Fire Co. searched for Regish in the Youghiogheny River after he swam to an island near St. Rita’s Church social hall and later along the bike trail and several neighborhoods, but did not locate him.
He was found by police three weeks later and taken into custody.
Regish remains incarcerated in Fayette County Prison in lieu of a $10,000 straight cash bond.