POLICE: Local Home Invasion, Conterfeit Bills, Drug Charges

Local Home Broken Into

According to the Ellwood City Police, a resident on Hazel Avenue reported that their house had been broken into on Monday, November 5. The victim said that they had just arrived home from the hospital when they discovered that the glass of the front interior door of their house had been shattered.

It was then found the intruder reached inside and unlocked the door, and making their way inside and stole seven Xanax  pills from their prescribed bottle. The victim had their suspicions but nothing has been confirmed nor have charges been pressed. However, more recently the victim made contact with police inquiring about pressing possible charges.

Counterfeit Bills Used For Pizza

On Wednesday, November 7, police were informed of a man who gave out two counterfeit bills to pay for a pizza delivery. Pizza Delivery worker Joseph Zuryniski claimed that when he went to deliver a pizza order, totaling in $36.00, when a male in a red hooded sweatshirt handed him counterfeit bills telling him to “keep the change”.

This man claimed to be James Schmidt, but police have yet to confirm this mans identity.

Locals Found With Heavy Drugs

Ellwood City residents Taylor Renee Foley, 22, of 950 Skyline Drive and Jeffrey Michael Stelter, 39, were arrested on Monday, November 5 when there were allegedly found in possession of heroin, crack cocaine, and suboxone by Ellwood City Police.

The pair were followed by police, due to a complaint at around 10:45 p.m. that two cars were parked in a lot on Wampum Avenue and were using heroin. It was then that one of the cars left the lot. Police then began to follow them through the borough and it was determined that Foley was the driver. Police had made an attempt to pull them over, but they continued south on North Street and eventually pulled into a convenience store parking lot. Stelter was then reported to have been in the backseat.

The pair were searched for weapons, none of which were found, however police searched Stelter and  reportedly found a syringe containing 30 milligrams of suspected heroin and a suspected crack pipe in his jeans pocket.

In Foley’s car, police found a clear, knotted plastic bag containing just under a half a gram of suspected crack cocaine, multiple suboxone packets, multiple plastic bags, a fraudulent California driver’s license with Foley’s name and a digital scale with residue on it, which is suspected to be cocaine. When searching Foley, police additionally found another suboxone packet in her jeans pocket. They noted in the complaint that she does not have a prescription for suboxone.

Foley is currently charged with possession and possession with intent to deliver controlled substances, possession of drug paraphernalia and driving while her license is suspended. She was arraigned by District Judge Jerry G. Cartwright, who committed her to the Lawrence County jail on a $25,000 bond.

Stelter was released, but is pending a charge of possession of a controlled substance.