Recent Stories

Police and Fire

December 21, 2018

North Side Positive Action Program Recognizes Local Heroes

On Monday, children at North Side Elementary school present Ellwood City’s police and fireman as a part of their December Positive Action Program. The idea for this to become a program came from a simple comment made by Dawn Santagata’s granddaughter. “My daughter mentioned to me that my granddaughter had asked her if she should be afraid of the police,” Santagata said. She proceeded to explain that the children only hear the negatives about the police; they hear about the cases on the television, on the radio, and even what their parents have to say involving the police. She began…

December 14, 2018

The Search Is On, Police Reporting Up To 25 Vehicle Break-Ins

From Sunday, December 8 and into Monday, December 9, there had been a reported 10 incidents of vehicles being broken into in Ellwood City. As of today, however, police say there has been between 20-25 break-ins. The thief or thieves have taken anywhere between $200 and $2 worth of items and change in each report. These break-ins have been happening in the following areas: Meadowridge Drive, Skyline Drive, Aetna Drive, and York Street. The most recent reports that were released had break-ins on Massachusetts Street,  Walnut Drive, Sunset Boulevard and another incident on Skyline Drive. These break-ins were not forced due…

December 10, 2018

POLICE: Rash of Vehicle Break-Ins, Telephone Scams Reported

RASH OF VEHICLE BREAK-INS Ellwood City Police Department are requesting residents LOCK their vehicles when parked outside their residences. On Sunday night, December 9, 2018 into Monday morning, December 10, 2018 ECPD took reports of 10 UNLOCKED vehicles broken into in the Meadowridge Drive, Skyline Drive, Aetna Drive, and York Street areas. All of the thefts were from unlocked vehicle. ECPD states that the thefts occurred sometime after 9:00pm and prior to 5:00am. Police are asking any residents in this area with video surveillance cameras contact ECPD if they have footage that will assist police. TELEPHONE SCAMS REPORTED Ellwood City…

November 30, 2018

POLICE: Assault, Harassment, Hit & Run DUI

Boyfriend Leaves Girlfriend With Swollen Eye On Monday, November 26, Pennsylvania State Police were called to a home on Mill Bridge Road in Slippery Rock Township at 8:18 p.m. on reports of a boyfriend beating his girlfriend. The victim called police with the report that she and her boyfriend, Dwayne Okeson, 39, had been in an argument when things got physical. She said that Okeson had choked her, punched her, and grabbed her by the back of the head. She said that these actions had happened in the home’s sunroom. The argument continued up to the second-floor bedroom where Okeson began…

November 29, 2018

VIDEO: Multi-Vehicle Crash In Slippery Rock Township

According to multiple news reports, a nine-vehicle accident involving a tractor-trailer closed down parts of Route 422 in Slippery Rock Township Wednesday evening. According to video reports, numerous vehicles, including a New Castle Transit bus, were stopped at a red light at the intersection of Routes 422 and 388 (near Sheetz) when a tractor-trailer did not slow down before ramming into the last stopped vehicle. It created a chain reaction causing the vehicles to slam into one another. Multiple injuries were reported. Three people were flown by medical helicopter.  Multiple people were trapped inside their vehicles and rescued by arriving first responders.  Among those responding…

November 19, 2018

POLICE: Man Maliciously Loitering, Woman Stabs Boyfriend

Man Found Guilty Of Maliciously Loitering On Tuesday, November 13 at approximately 4:00am, Pennsylvania State Police were called to Ellwood Road in Wayne Township with complaints of two males fighting in a white vehicle that was parked outside the complaints home. They then informed police that the passenger of the vehicle had fired off two shots into the air from the passenger seat. While police were en route, the male passenger who was later identified as Devin Myers, excited the vehicle and made way to the complaints porch. He then proceeded to bang on the front door, leading the complaint…

November 9, 2018

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…

November 2, 2018

POLICE: Women Attacks Boyfriend With Frying Pan, Local Man Tazed

Girlfriend Charged For Beating Boyfriend With A Frying Pan State police reported on Monday, October 17 at 6:30 p.m. that Elaine Pedro, age 24 of Enon Valley, intentionally attacked her boyfriend. The victim reported that in the morning of Sunday, October 14, Pedro hit him on the back left side of his head with a frying pan, scratched the left side of his face, the lower right side of his neck, and his right hand with her fingers that caused visible injury. When police were speaking with the victim, they observed a small bump on the back left side of his…

October 26, 2018

Man Arrested Near Portersville Trafficking $2.5M of Meth and Cocaine

PITTSBURGH – A West Virginia man has been arrested and charged in federal court in Pittsburgh with conspiracy to distribute and possession with intent to distribute large quantities of methamphetamine and cocaine after his arrest near Portersville, United States Attorney Scott W. Brady announced Thursday. The criminal complaint, filed on October 22, charges Durell Anthony Jones, 33, of Fairmont, West Virginia, with drug conspiracy, possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine and possession with intent to distribute cocaine. U.S. Attorney Brady said, “This is the largest seizure of methamphetamine in the history of western Pennsylvania. Through the hard work of our…

October 26, 2018

Man Charged With Burglary, Trespassing & Threats In Wayne Township

On Friday, October 12, just after 10:00 p.m, state police were called to a house on Guy Way, Wayne Township with reports of a white male breaking into a females home. The witness that called in stated he was throwing a party with a group of his friends when he noticed the male entering his neighbors home. He proceeded to then go to his neighbors house and observed the male, who he identified as the victims ex-boyfriend Zachary Dinell, 25, of Freedom, ransacking the living room and kitchen. When the witness threatened to call the police, Dinell ran to a…