Police and Fire

According to the criminal complaint, two males will be facing burglary charges after an incident that occurred on Christmas Day at approximately 11:45p.m. at a residence on Spring Avenue. Officers were advised by the reporting party that two males had kicked in the rear door of the house and left the scene in a green Mitsubishi Eclipse. When officers arrived they made contact with the homeowner who stated the two males were William Norris Pearson IV, 25, of Ellwood City, and Ridge Cox, 22, of Ellwood City, and they kicked in the door of his residence and assaulted him by…

A 13 year old student was apprehended by North Sewickley Police after his direct involvement in a stolen weapons and terroristic threat incident that occurred last week. After the teen was harassing a classmate via social media, the mother of the harassed peer attempted to contact the juveniles parents and during the phone call the teen threatened to shoot the woman – unknowingly to the woman he was referring to shooting her with two loaded hand guns that had been stolen from her husband by the harassing teen and a friend at an earlier occasion. The bullied teen suggested the…

Joseph Boots, 41, of Hillside Ave., in Wayne Township was rescued from frigid waters early Friday morning after fleeing from police. Boots, who already had an outstanding warrant issued in Lawrence County, fled from officers after a domestic dispute which occurred between him and a female who officers said was unrecognizable due to the severe swelling in her face. Officers noticed a suspicious individual running into the woods along the Connoquenessing Creek, and a bystander identified Boots as the fleeing man. After attempting to chase Boots on foot, Franklin Police called the Ellwood City Police Department for their canine unit…

New Years Public Drunkenness According to the police report, Ellwood officers were requested by the Wampum Police to assist with a publicly drunk female on Jan. 1, 2017. By the time the officers had arrived the Wampum Police had Jody Vankirk, 41, of New Castle, who was inappropriately dressed, detained. Vankirk was being “extremely out of control and intoxicated” while at the station. After she was released officers were called again in regards to the woman damaging items at a friends house and throwing things into the street. Vankirk is being cited with criminal mischief and disorderly conduct.   DUI…

Fight Breaks Out After Wife is Called a “Fat Rhino” According to the police report, on Dec. 22, police were dispatched to 5th St. for a fight in progress. A physical fight had broken out between Carl Claypoole, 20, and a juvenile family member after the teen had called Claypoole’s wife a “fat rhino.” Claypoole had an active bench warrant in Mercer County and was advised to turn himself in to Mercer County authorities. Both males were cited for disorderly conduct.   Woman Uses Fake Identity to Receive Narcotics According to the police report, on Dec. 20, officers were dispatched…

Many people are left questioning how one Monaca man could mistake a horse for a deer – ultimately shooting and killing the beloved pet, valued at $16,000, named Stella. According to the police report, Jordan G. Cinderich, 23, of Monaca PA., was out hunting with his brother and group of friends on December 10, in New Sewickley Township, when he claims he spotted a herd of deer on a nearby hillside and took a shot. The startled and injured target galloped away, which Cinderich thought was abnormal behavior for a deer, prompting him to locate the animal carcass, where he…

Stolen Vehicle Sold to Unsuspecting Local A warrant for the arrest of Andrew Leroy Mercado, 29, of Koppel, has been filed after he sold a vehicle that belonged to Linda Boots. According to the criminal complaint, on Dec. 8, the buyer of the vehicle came to the police station to report an issue he was having with the seller of the 1998 Toyota Avalon he had purchased two days earlier. After the victim had seen the vehicle, which had no registration plate, the back seat was ripped out, and the steering column was disassembled, he purchased it from the Mercado…

This morning, I-376, one of the most commonly traveled routes in the area, was closed while helicopters and police were investigating an incident. Shawn Hobel, 34, of Ellwood City was shot by police officials and is undergoing surgery after leading several Lawrence County police departments on a chase. According to reports, the chase started around 3:30a.m., when Hobel -who had a woman passenger in the car- did not stop for Shenango Township officers attempting to pull him over for a traffic violation. The chase finally came to a halt on I-376 in Union Township after Hobel managed to lead officers from…

After an incident occurred last month, Zachary Franklin Pounds, 20, of Fox Street is facing felony charges. Pounds and his older brother, Joseph, caused a disturbance at Weisz’s Hazel Manor, resulting in a man needing to be life flown to a Pittsburgh hospital. The two brothers were ordering food when Zachary walked up to a man and started yelling profound racial slurs, punching the man and striking him over the head with a beer bottle, the victim was knocked on the ground. During the altercation, Zachary managed to stab the victim in the arm, resulting in a three-layer deep gash…