Police and Fire

Ellwood City Man Pleads Guilty To Attempted Production Of Material Depicting Sexual Exploitation Of Minor

PITTSBURGH – A resident of Ellwood City, PA, pleaded guilty in federal court to a charge of attempted production and production of material depicting the sexual exploitation of a minor, United States Attorney Eric G. Olshan announced Thursday. David Bates, age 63, pleaded guilty to one count before United States District Judge J. Nicholas Ranjan on June 12, 2023. In connection with the guilty plea, the court was advised that in or between July 2020 and October 2020, Bates and another individual attempted to and did use, persuade, induce entice and coerce a minor to engage in sexually explicit conduct…


POLICE: Weekly Police Blotter

DISORDERLY CONDUCT: David Carter, 43, of Ellwood City is charged with Disorderly Conduct, Terroristic Threats, and Public Drunkenness after an incident on June 4th. According to a criminal complaint, and at approximately 6:16 p.m., officers were dispatched to a residence on Franklin Avenue for a report of a male making threats. Upon arrival, police spoke with one of the victims who related a male, later identified as Carter, came across the street and started making threats. Police spoke with Carter who appear under the influence of alcohol and unable to stand straight. Police advised Carter to stay inside for the…


POLICE: Weekly Police Blotter

BURGLARY: Katyln Kelosky, 34, of Ellwood City, is charged with Burglary and Criminal Trespassing after an incident on May 12th. According to a criminal complaint, and at approximately 12:52 p.m., police were dispatched to a Dollar General, at Woodside Avenue, Wayne Township for a reported theft. Police made contact with the store manager who related that Kelosky had been entering the store when no one should be present and taking money from the safe. Surveillance footage confirm Kelosky as the perpetrator and further footage was able to confirm five dates where Kelosky entered the store and removed cash and drinks…


POLICE: Weekly Police Blotter

HARASSMENT: On April 6th at approximately 1:28 a.m., PA State Police responded to a report of a domestic altercation at a residence on Spring Avenue Extension, Wayne Township. According to information received, amidst a verbal altercation, a 35-year-old male became physical with a 32-year-old female victim. According to the police report, the arrested man will be charged with one count of harassment. The charge will be filed and pending through the Office of Magisterial District Judge Jerry Cartwright, Jr. HARASSMENT: On April 9th at approximately 7:31 a.m., PA State Police responded to a report of harassment in the area of…


POLICE: Weekly Police Blotter

HARRASSMENT: On May 1st at approximately 12:31 a.m., PA State Police New Castle responded to an active domestic at the 440 block of Pittsburgh Road, Wayne Township, Lawrence County. Ian Colombo, 34, of Wayne Township, was cited with summary harassment in relation to the incident with the 33-year-old female victim. THEFT: On May 3rd at approximately 11:44 a.m., PA State Police investigated the report of fraudulent activity on a bank account of a 69-year-old Enon Valley man. The victim related that since June 2022 that approximately $47,000 was withdrawn/transferred from his bank account under false pretenses. According to the police…


POLICE: Weekly Police Blotter

FIREARM SALE OR TRANSFER: On March 8th at approximately 4:21 p.m., a 35-year-old male from New Castle attempted to purchase a pistol from Dunham’s Sports, but was denied the transaction. According to the police report, the suspect was previously sentenced for receiving stolen property, a misdemeanor of the first degree, prohibiting the transaction. When asked upon the official Firearms Transaction Record, the suspect failed to disclose this information. It is noted that the same suspect was also denied a previous attempt to purchase a shotgun from Walmart in July 2021 and was also denied the transaction for similar reasons. Both…


POLICE: Weekly Police Blotter

THEFT: On April 12th at approximately 4:44 p.m., PA State Police investigated a report of a stolen firearm from a residence on Burns Road, Lawrence County. According to the report, a black in color Spike Tactical AR-15 style rifle, chambered in 5.56 caliber, was stolen as the suspect gained access to the victim’s unlocked vehicle, stealing the rifle from the rear seat. There is an approximate 4-day window from when the 18-year-old male victim last saw his rifle and when he noticed it missing. An investigation is going. Anyone with information is asked to call PA State Police New Castle…


POLICE: Weekly Police Blotter

THEFT: Devin Brandon, 35, of Ellwood City, is charged with Theft by Unlawful Taking and Theft by Deception after an incident reported on March 6th. According to a criminal complaint, a victim reported a theft that occurred at a residence on Wampum Avenue whereas the victim reported to have hired Brandon to complete work on his truck and Harley Davidson and paid Brandon up front for parts before completing the work. The victim stated that over the span of months that Brandon would never provide an update on the status of the work. Police have worked a previous case involving…


Ellwood City Decorated with Signs & Teal Ribbons For SAAM Day of Action

Mayor Anthony J. Court, Ellwood City Council and the Ellwood City Police Department joined forces with ARISE, formerly the Crisis Shelter of Lawrence County, on Tuesday, April 4th to recognize SAAM Day of Action. The first Tuesday of every April is the Sexual Assault Awareness Month (SAAM) Day of Action. The Day of Action is an opportunity to start off the month with highly visible and coordinated actions. They assisted ARISE staff by decorating the city with signs and teal ribbons to raise awareness in Lawrence County. The collaboration highlights the importance of community partnerships in addressing social issues such…


MAYOR: Replace Defaced License Plates

Mayor Anthony J. Court has issued the following information concerning defaced license plates: If your license plate is defaced and you are stopped by the Ellwood City Police Department, you will be provided a form to fill out and an officer will inspect your plate. You can send the form in to the address provided on the form and they will issue you a new plate. The Ellwood City Police Department is located in the municipal building at 525 Lawrence Avenue, for questions, call 724-758-7777. Act 133 of 2008 eliminated the requirement for PennDOT to replace license plates every 10…