POLICE: Weekly Police Blotter

THEFT:
Between the times of 4:00 p.m. on April 24th and 12:26 a.m. on April 27th, an unknown suspect proceeded into the unlocked door of a 53-year-old Wampum man’s vehicle located on Henry Street, Wayne Township, and stole a black Sig Sauer P365, gun magazine, Oakley sunglasses, two pocket knives, and flashlight. Property stolen valued at over $1,000.00. This investigation is ongoing.

BURGLARY:
On April 15th at approximately 1:40 p.m., PSP New Castle was dispatched to a 3400 block of SR 18, New Beaver Borough, for a reported Burglary. The known 91-year-old Wampum female reported that upon arriving home at approximately 7:00 p.m., she discovered her house to have been ransacked. Drawers and cabinets were opened and objects were visibly disturbed throughout the residence according to the report. A safe that had been located in the basement was found to have been damaged by the forced entry utilizing tools. Several jewelry items that had been located within the safe were stolen. The estimated value of the jewelry is $13,000. The investigation is ongoing.

ASSAULT:
According to a reported incident in September 2023 it has now been determined that a 16-year-old juvenile male from Ellwood City was beat by a group of his peers and shot several times with a BB gun, because he was flirting with two of their girlfriends. The incident is reported to have taken place on Main Street, Wampum Borough. Three juveniles from Wampum, and one juvenile male from Beaver Falls have been charged accordingly. Jamie Goebel, 18, of Wampum, is charged with Simple Assault after it was found she agreed to be a part of the plan to physically attack the victim and helped facilitate it by picking up the victim and also kicked the victim multiple times while he was on the ground.

ASSAULT:
Taiya Statti, 27, of Ellwood City, is charged with Assault and Harassment after an incident on February 21st. According to a criminal complaint, and at approximately 8:18 p.m., police responded to a reported assault whereas Statti was reportedly assaulting her sister after an argument over the location of Statti’s cellphone and that the victim refused to driver her to retrieve her phone from the motel they stayed at the night before. According to the complaint, the argument began at approximately 9:00 a.m. and became violent and the victim was hit in excess of ten times with a closed fist. The report relates Statti further related that both her and the victim had stayed up all night drinking and had not gone to sleep.

THEFT:
Jason Santellan, 44, of Ellwood City, is charged with Retail Theft after an incident on April 22nd. According to a criminal complaint, and at approximately 8:25 a.m., police were dispatched to Rite-Aid for a retail theft of a pack of lottery tickets. Officers spoke to the caller who related Santellan had her price check an item and he swiped the packet of lottery tickets and left. The value of the tickets is reported to be $600.00. Santellan is seen in surveillance leaving the store and making a right on his scooter towards Keystone Way. Officers later advised of an EMS incident on Short Street, and found Santellans at the residence, wearing the same sweatpants from surveillance and with an electric scooter inside the residence. Santellan was placed under arrest and transported to ECPD and found with prior history of criminal thefts.

DUI:
Megan Yhelka, 33, of Fombell, is charged with DUI after an incident in November 2023. According to a criminal complaint, and at approximately 6:35 p.m. on November 18th, police were dispatched to Seven Eleven for an unconscious female in the driver seat of a vehicle in the parking lot. Officers made contact with Yhelka who was found with an odor of an intoxicating beverage. Officers also observed an aluminum beer can under the front seat. Yhelka refused medical attention and was asked to take a field sobriety test for which she failed. Yhelka was placed under arrest for DUI and transported to ECPD and later a nearby hospital for a blood draw.

DUI:
Miranda Brown, 47, of Corapolis, is charged with DUI after an incident on March 17th. According to a criminal complaint, and at approximately 2:43 p.m., police were dispatched to a reported disabled vehicle on Main Street, Wampum Borough, and found a red Nissan Pathfinder with heavy front end damage. Contact was made with the operator, Brown, who was found to be disheveled and incoherent. The report relates Brown was unable to complete full sentences and was having was appeared to be body tremors. Brown related she was unaware of her location and related to officers she was on daily medications. Due to condition, Brown was transported by ambulance to be seen by medical personnel.

DUI:
Chad Weingartner, 48, of New Castle, is charged with DUI after a vehicle accident on April 13th. According to a criminal complaint, and at approximately 10:18 p.m., police were dispatched to a crash on Ellwood Road, Wayne Township, and upon arrival made contact with Weingartner who police had dealt with two weeks prior for a separate DUI crash incident. Weingartner was found with bloodshoot eyes and moderate odor of alcohol emitting from his breath and he was unstable on his feet. Weingartner consented toa PBT breathe sample that tested positive for alcohol. Weingartner was placed under arrest and transported to a nearby hospital for a blood draw.

BURGLARY:
Mitchell Coulter, 40, of New Castle, is charged with Burglary and Criminal Trespassing after an incident on April 19th. According to a criminal complaint, and at approximately 5:21 p.m., police responded to a caller who advised Coulter stole his 2011 Chevrolet Avalanche from an address on Line Avenue. The caller advised Coulter knocked on the door of his employee who uses the truck, and before anyone could come to the door Coulter entered the residence, grabbed the truck keys and ran out to start the truck and drive away. Plate readers recorded the vehicle heading west on Wampum Avenue and has not been registered since. Police entered the vehicle as stolen and the caller seeks charges on Coulter for the theft of the vehicle. Coulter, known to police as a drug user who is known to fight and resist was last reported wearing jeans, blue/black shirt with thermal, and a ball cap.

CHILD ENDANGERMENT:
Clinton Frederick DeMoss Sr., 41, and Carolyn Ann McMahon, 46, both of Todd Avenue, are each charged with Child Endangerment after the an incident reported on April 15th. According to a criminal complaint, after a child-line report of suspected child abuse and neglect, police went to the residence, finding it in deplorable conditions and no contact able to be made. According to the report, police were able to observe standing water in the basement, numerous barking dogs, and a foul odor emanating from around the residence. On April 19th police returned to the residence with the landlord and made contact with a 16-year-old who advised she lives there with her two siblings, ages 9 and 5, and that her father, DeMoss, and step-mother, McMahon have been gone for several days in West Virginia. According to the complaint, it was found by police that the children had been using a trash bag as their bathroom and the younger children were found unkept with dirty hands and fingers. The police also learned the 9- and 5-year-olds were not enrolled in school. The three children were taken into custody by Lawrence County Children and Youth Services by petition. DeMoss and McMahon each are facing three counts of endangering the welfare of children. One of the counts for each is a felony.