POLICE: Weekly Police Blotter

CRASH REPORT:
On April 6th at approximately 2:37 a.m. police were dispatched to Mercer Road where they determined that Kasandra Moon, 26, of Leetsdale, had fallen asleep while driving causing her to hit a utility pole and nearby mail boxes. No injuries were reported according to the crash report.

CRASH REPORT:
On April 6th at approximately 4:37 p.m. police responded to a report of a vehicle crash along Crescent Drive and determined that Thomas Newman, 35, of Petersburg, had been driving at high speeds and lost control of his vehicle causing him to drive through a fence. Newman fled and later reported the accident to police, and will be charged according to the crash report.

CRIMINAL TRESSPASS/THEFT:
William McCormick, 36, of Ellwood City, and Charles Sentz, 28, of Ellwood City, are each charged with Criminal Trespassing and Theft after an attempted theft of a trailer from a property located on Dairy Street, Wampum Borough on or around the date of April 4th. Police located a vehicle hauling the stolen trailer the complainant described and police conducted a traffic stop. Police identified both McCormick and Sentz, and McCormick explained he was picking up a trailer for a friend and did not know he would be stealing it. Police contacted the victim and asked him a series of questions regarding the trailer to which the victim replied that he did not give authorization for the trailer to be taken by anyone. Officers then took McCormick and Sentz into custody according to a criminal complaint.

SIMPLE ASSAULT:
William Maine, 55, of Ellwood City, is charged with Simple Assault after an incident occurring on March 28th. According to a criminal complaint, and at approximately 11:18 p.m., police were dispatched to a residence at which a 50-year-old female victim explained that she was just involved in a domestic disturbance with her boyfriend, Maine. According to the complaint, the victim relates Maine had made a phone call to his ex-girlfriend which led to an argument that turned into a physical altercation. The altercation led to the victim being pushed to the ground several times involved a broken phone and a hair straightener cord that the victim told officers Maine tried to use to choke her according to a the complaint. Injuries were photographed for evidence.

DUI:
Jack Hall, 61, of Wampum, is charged with DUI after an incident occurring on March 22nd at the intersection of River Road and Wampum Road. According to a criminal complaint, and at approximately 9:38 p.m., police arrived on scene and observed EMS and Fire to be on scene with an unconscious Hall, who had rammed into the Ellwood City FD vehicle. When officers spoke to Hall, they observed him to be highly intoxicated and subjected Hall to several sobriety tests according to a the complaint.

DUI:
Samuel Haswell, 23, of New Castle is charged with DUI after a two-vehicle crash occurring on March 7th. According to a criminal complaint, and at approximately 10:59 p.m., police arrived on scene of accident at the intersecton of Rose Point Road and Frew Mill Road and spoke with Haswell. Officers observed a strong odor of alcohol and Haswell admitted to drinking. Haswell was transported to a nearby hospital for chemical testing and later released according to the complaint.

ASSAULT:
Quintin Owens, 28, of Cranberry Township, pleaded guilty this week and was sentenced in federal court to 12 months of incarceration on his conviction of assault by striking, beating, or wounding, according to Acting United States Attorney Troy Rivetti. The conviction imposed the sentence on Owens, also ordering Owens to pay a $5,000 fine.

According to information presented to the Court, on or about October 11, 2022, Owens violently assaulted his girlfriend, also a resident of Western Pennsylvania, by punching her, throwing her to the ground, and strangling her in a choke hold while the two were aboard a cruise ship. The federal district court has jurisdiction over the assault in part because the crime was committed on the high seas.

In imposing the sentence, Judge Stickman spoke to the severe impact domestic violence crimes have on victims and promised that such crimes will be taken seriously in federal court.