Police and Fire

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…

Thousands of Dollars Worth of Opiate Medications Stolen According to the police report, on Dec. 5, a man came to the police station to report that his medication had been stolen from of the passenger seat of his car while he was inside Rite Aid getting an energy drink and cigarettes. The man claimed he was no longer than 10 minuets in the store and he had four newly filled prescriptions laying on the front seat. The stolen medication was two scripts of Oxymorphone, 20mg tablets with each bottle holding 60 pills, street value at $20 per pill, and the…

Meth Lab Discovered in Ellwood According to the criminal complaint, on November 23 officers were dispatched to Smokin Dave’s Barbecue in reference to the owner having three suspicious persons exit a vehicle and walk toward railroad property carrying assorted bags. The officer made contact with one of the individuals, April Squires, 34, of Summit Ave., who was walking away from several of the bags left in the alleyway of North and Franklin, and asked her what was going on. She stated that she had got a ride from the other two individuals and she was now walking home. The officer…

Many Ellwood residents have reported receiving a phone call from a gentleman asking for donations to the “Ellwood City Police Department Holiday Fund.” Mayor Court warns “do not give money to this caller, this is 100% a scam. There is absolutely no such charity for the Ellwood City Police Department and the Police Department would not ask for donations over the phone.” The scammer has even offered to meet in person to receive donations. Anyone who receives a call like this is encouraged to report it immediately to authorities. As of now, there are no leads to who the scammer…

Used Needles Litter Public Park According to the police report, on Nov. 28 a juvenile came to the station to report that he had found a syringe at the Community Park in the 500 Block of Lawrence Ave. An officer accompanied the young man to the scene and the syringe was recovered, and upon further searching, three more syringes were found. Criminal Mischief on Loop Street  According to the police report, officers were dispatched to Loop St. on Nov. 29 for a criminal mischief complaint. Upon officers arrival, a home owner said she was watching T.V. when the T.V. mysteriously…

Thousands of Dollars Worth of Precious Jewelry Pawned Brooke Renee Colao, 35, of Ellwood, is facing charges of receiving stolen property and theft by unlawful taking after an ongoing investigation. Between Oct. 2015 and March 2016 the defendant supposedly stole various jewelry from a resident while she was working with her boyfriend who was doing contracted carpentry at the victims residence. The victim stated that every time the defendant was working with her boyfriend various jewelry would be missing. The victim checked local and online pawn shops commonly used in the area, ultimately locating several pieces of the stolen jewelry….

Man Stabbed at Local Bar According to the police report on Nov. 11, two brothers, Zachary and Joseph Pounds, ages 20 and 23, of Ellwood, caused a disturbance at Weisz’s Hazel Manor Bar on North St. The report states the brothers were in the dining room area of the bar ordering food when the younger brother, Zachary, got up and walked around the bar yelling profound and racist obscenities at a man before taking a beer bottle and hitting the unsuspecting individual over the head. The victim fell to the floor and was further attacked by the same brother, now…