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Police and Fire

August 16, 2017

Ellwood Woman Hired to Help Around House Suspected of Stealing Medication

Adriana Michelle Contreras, 33, of Ellwood City is facing charges of theft by unlawful taking and receiving stolen property after an incident on July 20. According to the criminal complaint, an Ellwood City resident called to report a suspected theft. The victim stated his wife had a condition for which they had personally hired a Contreras to help around the house. The victim stated he suspected Contreras was stealing pills from his Adderall prescription and that since the prior week he had noticed several of the pills missing. The victim then stated that on the day of calling to report the…

August 15, 2017

Ellwood Resident Facing Charges for Growing Marijuana Plants in Backyard

Kylee Nikole Hooks, 28, of Franklin Avenue, is facing a felony charge of delivery of a controlled substance and misdemeanor charge of violation of controlled substance after police found marijuana plants growing in her backyard. According to the criminal complaint, on June 26, police were given an anonymous tip of suspected marijuana plants growing in the back yard of Hooks’s residence. Officers made contact with Hooks and asked if she had any marijuana plants being manufactured on her property, to which she admitted and led the officers to where the plants were being grown; an area of the yard out…

August 14, 2017

Police Seek Identity of Woman Struck and Killed in Mahoning Township

According to WFMJ, police are seeking the identity of a woman who was struck and killed in Mahoning Township last night around 11:30p.m. Police say the woman was walking along the eastbound lane just east of Edinburg Road when she was struck by a jeep driven by a 20-year-old New Castle woman. The victim is described as a white female in her early to mid-30’s, with straight, red, shoulder-length hair. She was wearing a black shirt, blue jeans and black shoes with white soles. State Police ask anyone with information to call them at 724-598-2211. UPDATE 8/15: The woman was…

August 10, 2017

VIDEO: Walmart Sexual Assaulter Appears in Court

Adam Tatusko, the 32-year-old who was accused of sexually assaulting a young boy in the Chippewa Walmart bathroom appeared in court last Thursday. According to other news sources, Tatusko has intellectual disabilities and was accompanied to the Chippewa Walmart and McDonald’s, where he tried to grab another young boy, by a caretaker from a private agency. He was allowed to go to the bathroom by himself. It is unclear at this time what the exact intellectual disabilities are. “The Beaver County District Attorney’s Office told WPXI’s Amy Marcinkiewicz that he does not comment on mental health issues, but that the…

August 9, 2017

BREAKING: Accident Involving Semi-Truck on Lawrence Ave

A FedEx truck collided with an SUV on Lawrence Avenue at approximately 9a.m. Police, firefighters and paramedics are at the scene. Updates to follow. UPDATE: Reports are stating the driver of the SUV ran the red light at the intersection of Sixth Street and Lawrence Avenue where she was then hit on the drivers side by the truck, causing significant damage to the drivers side doors. The SUV driver was taken to the hospital with minor injuries. She did not have any other passengers.  

August 9, 2017

Troopers, BC3 Police Investigate After Private Cadaver Dogs’ Alert on Campus

Butler, PA- An investigation by state police at Butler and Butler County Community College campus police continued Tuesday morning in a wooded portion of BC3’s main campus in Butler Township, where private cadaver dogs last weekend reportedly alerted handlers when approaching a mound of construction debris. Investigators processed the scene, according to Scott Richardson, BC3’s director of campus police and security. There did not appear to be recent activity near the construction debris, Richardson said Monday. He described the area as being dense with excessive vegetation overgrowth and having no adjacent walking trails. Although on college property, the site that…

August 4, 2017

BREAKING: Attempted Robbery at Lawrence Ave. Wesbanco

Ellwood City Police are requesting your help locating the attempted robbery suspect. The attempted robber entered the bank this afternoon at approximately 2:52pm and presented a note a the teller window before fleeing. The suspect is an African American Male, approximately 5’10”, mid 20’s, athletic build.  He was last seen leaving the bank on foot, wearing a blue t-shirt, jean shorts, high-top white socks, and a blue hat. If anyone can identify the suspect in the photograph, please contact the Lawrence County 911 Center at 724-656-9300. 7:00pm UPDATE: According to a local news source, the suspect presented a note that…

August 3, 2017

Mayor Meets with Residents on National Community Night Out

On Tuesday, August 1, 2017 Mayor Anthony J. Court and Lt. David Kingston of the Ellwood City Police Department participated in “The National Community Night Out” meeting and greeting residents throughout Ellwood City. The Mayor stated that both were well received by the community and they enjoyed the one on one with the residents, letting them know that they will continue to stamp out crime in the city. This National Community Night Out is done in conjunction with the Mayor’s Crime Watch Program. The Crime Watch Program is now in its 10th Year and has been a huge success in…

July 31, 2017

32 Year-Old Accused of Sexually Assaulting Young Boy in Chippewa Walmart Bathroom

According to KDKA News, Adam Michael Tatusko, 32, of West Mayfield is facing a number of charges, including indecent assault and corruption of minors after sexually assaulting a young boy in the bathroom of the Chippewa Walmart last Tuesday. Reports state that Tatusko followed the young boy into the bathroom, waited until no one else was in the bathroom, and used a “Doctor Who wand,” claiming it was a taser, to force the child into a stall and take his clothes off. The assault ended after the boy’s father went into the restroom and called for his son, who ignored Tatusko’s…

July 27, 2017

Phone Scammers Target Posies by Patti

Local Ellwood business, Posies by Patti updated their Facebook page with a warning to their customers: “SCAM ALERT!! SCAM ALERT!! It has come to our attention that our BUSINESS NAME and possibly our PHONE NUMBER is being used in a SCAM. Caller ID will show POSIES BY PATTI but it will be a scammer. Please DO NOT give out any personal information or agree to anything the scammers ask. They are trying to get your information for their use. If you get any phone calls from Posies by Patti, HANG UP IMMEDIATELY and please feel free to call us to…