POLICE: Weekly Police Blotter

THEFT:
According to a criminal complaint, Jason Mulig, 46, of Ellwood City, is charged with Theft by Unlawful Taking after an incident on November 1, 2021. According to the report, at approximately 5:38 p.m. police were dispatched to Dollar General on Lawrence Avenue, Ellwood City for the reported theft. The victim advised police she had two twenty dollar bills stolen from her purse. The victim stated she leaves her purse in the front of the store, under surveillance, while she is working in the store. The victim showed police the video which shows a white male, whom the victim identified as Mulig, take the purse, disappear from camera and then returns the purse two minutes later.

THEFT:
According to a criminal complaint, Jacob Gunderson, 44, of New Castle, is charged with Theft and Receiving Stolen Property after an incident on October 23, 2021. According to the report, at 4:26 p.m. police were dispatched to T&M Hardware for a reported theft. A store employee informed police she saw a white male leave the store tool section with a red box under his arm, and later found to have stolen a Milwaukee Impact Driver valued at $299.99. After obtaining and reviewing video surveillance police identified the vehicle the suspect used to leave the scene. Officers were later able to obtain a traffic stop corresponding with a possible match of the suspected vehicle and identified Gunderson.

THEFT:
According to a criminal complaint, Patrick McCloskey, 41, of Ellwood City, is charged with Theft after an incident on November 11, 2021. According to the report, police were called to Dollar General on Lawrence Avenue, Ellwood City for a retail theft. Store employees stated that McCloskey was pushing a store shopping cart and walking north on 12th Street and police were able to local the shopping cart sitting outside of the Uni-Center on Lawrence Avenue in the rear. Police were not able to locate McCloskey but later a Dollar General store manager came to the rear of the building to retrieve the stolen items. The total amount of items taken from the store was 69 items valued at $266.65. Officers reviewed store surveillance video and identified McCloskey.

THEFT:
Michael Frontini, 57, of Ellwood City, is charged with Receiving Stolen Property after a reported theft of a wallet after an incident on August 4, 2021. According to the criminal complaint, a victim reported a theft after her wallet was stolen from an unlocked work truck while she was cleaning out a porta john on a property on Portersville Road. The victim stated her debit card was used three times for a total of $33.90 and $4.00 in cash was removed form the wallet. Police were later able to identify Frontini from nearby video surveillance. Police went to Frontini’s address, located approximately 100 feet from where the porta john was pumped, and spoke with a neighbor who also identified Frontini from video surveillance.

POSSESSION OF CONTROLLED SUBSTANCE:
On October 4th at approximately 1:32 p.m. police were on routine patrol in the area of 5th Street near Spring Avenue and noticed a male attempting to get into a gold Buick Regal within minutes of getting a prior call that a similar male was attempting to get into vehicles on Beaver Avenue. Police attempted to make contact with the male who got onto a bicycle and continued to evade police. When police were finally able to make contact with the male on the 5th Street bridge he had thrown a pink wrapper off the side of the bridge. The male, identified as Jeffrey Stelter was placed into custody when it was learned Stelter had been in possession of and tossed suspected crystal meth off the bridge. Stelter is charged with Possession of Controlled Substance, Use/Possession of Drug Paraphernalia, and Tampering.

HIT & RUN ACCIDENT:
On October 25, at approximately 1:50 p.m. PA State Police New Castle responded to a report of a hit/run crash in which the operator of a semi-truck struck a utility pole and fled the scene. According to the report, damage was observed on the utility police and the street name sign at the intersection of Plum Way and Anthony Street in Wayne Township. Tire marks were observed in the grass on the west side of the road, which indicated that the operator made multiple attempts to complete the left turn before striking the pole. Witnesses were interviewed which identified the vehicle as a dark blue semi-truck pulling a trailer with a B&G insignia stamped on the trailer. Wampum FD and Chewton FD assisted on the scene that was canvassed and subsequently cleared.

ASSAULT:
On October 24, at approximately 12:47 a.m., PA State Police were dispatched to a fight involving approximately 15 individuals in the area of 2577 Enon Road, North Beaver Township, Lawrence County. When police arrived on scene all parties were already gone. A 24-year-old female victim had called once she left and was in a safe area. The victim said she was assaulted by Mandy Bales, 43, of Enon Valley, and went to the hospital to be treated for contusions and bruising to her entire head and face area. The victim also sustained a concussion. Bales is charged with Simple Assault and Harassment.

ACCIDENT:
PA State Police are investigating a two-vehicle accident on State Route 488 near Wright Road, Perry Township, Lawrence County. The accident occurred as a Ford Escort was traveling south on Portersville Road and, while approaching the crest of the hill, rear ended a Jeep Wrangler which was delivering mail on the west shoulder of the roadway with a yellow emergency light illuminated. After striking the Jeep, the Escort rolled over onto its roof twice. The operator of the Ford Escort sustained minor injuries. Both units sustained disabling amounts of damage and were towed from the scene. The driver, Harry Stewart, 75, of Portersville was cited and the scene was cleared.

FRAUD:
Two residents of Las Vegas, NV and one resident of Reseda, CA, have been indicted by a federal grand jury in Pittsburgh, PA on a charge of running a “Grandparent Scheme” that defrauded elderly victims in Western PA. The one-count Indictment named Roderick Feurtado, 54, of Las Vegas, NV 89166, Tarek Bouanane, 45, Las Vegas, NV 89139, and Roberto Gutierrez, 49, of Reseda, CA 91335, as defendants. According to Indictment, in September 2021, the defendants traveled to the Pittsburgh area to execute a scheme to defraud that targeted elderly victims. To execute the scheme, members of the conspiracy called the victims, posed as an attorney, and falsely represented that one of the victim’s relatives, typically a grandchild, had been incarcerated and needed money for bail and legal fees. With assistance from Feurtado and other members of the conspiracy, Bouanane and Gutierrez then posed as couriers or bail bondsman, visited the victims at their homes, and collected the fraudulently obtained money. At least $250,000 was obtained in the Western District of Pennsylvania and elsewhere as a result of the conspiracy. The law provides for a maximum total sentence of 20 years in prison, a fine of $250,000 or both. Under the Federal Sentencing Guidelines, the actual sentence imposed would be based upon the seriousness of the offenses and the prior criminal history, if any, of the defendants. An indictment is an accusation. A defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty.

DUI:
Michael Yanssens, 30, of Ellwood City, is charged with DUI after a traffic stop on November 7, 2021. According to the criminal complaint, at approximately 11:53 p.m., police located a white Hyundai with an expired registration parked in a 7-11 Convenience Store. Police later observed Yanssens exit the store and enter the sedan and travel through the parking lot at high rate of speed, exiting without yielding to traffic, and continue south over the Fifth Street Bridge. Police conducted a traffic stop, detected a strong odor of alcohol in the vehicle and a beer can in the cup holder. Police issued an ensuing field sobriety test that Yanssens failed and was placed into custody for suspicion of driving under the influence.

DUI:
Brian Adkins, 38, of New Castle, is charged with DUI after a traffic stop on November 17, 2021. According to a criminal complaint, at approximately 1:10 a.m. police observed a vehicle with a front headlamp not properly functioning traveling on Fountain Avenue and began to trail in an attempt to conduct a traffic stop. The vehicle pulled into McDonald’s drive thru and later into a parking space. Police asked Adkins to exit the vehicle to perform a field sobriety test that Adkins failed and was placed into custody for suspicion of driving under the influence.