Tony LaRussa stories, Page 18
Northern Regional Police accuse woman of assaulting construction flagger with bat
Northern Regional Police accused a woman of using a baseball bat to assault another woman who was working as a flagger at a road construction site in Pine. Police say that on Jan. 5, a woman who works for Wright Traffic Control Inc. was working as a flagger at the...
Fitness training system donated to Northern Regional Police in appreciation for serviceVideo
Being physically and mentally ready to take immediate action during an emergency is a critical part of the job for many police officers. But long, uneventful shifts on patrol; working odd hours that disrupt sleep and meal routines; and the everyday stress that comes with police work can make maintaining...
Police: Harrison man said he was so drunk he couldn’t recall nearly beating woman to death
A Harrison man who was charged with beating a woman nearly to death told investigators he got so drunk on New Year’s Eve that he couldn’t recall the incident, police said. Michael Adam Comley, 43, of the 1100 block of Gordon Street was charged with felony counts of criminal attempted...
Brackenridge chief’s death likely to have lasting effect on police, communities
When the armed man police were seeking for more than a day ran past Brackenridge police Chief Justin McIntire’s cruiser Monday afternoon, he reacted the same way most law enforcement officers would in that situation. McIntire was aware the suspect on the loose in his town likely was armed —...
Police: Kiski Township man faces multiple felony charges for repeated sexual assault of young child
Kiski Township police charged a man with six felony counts after he was accused of sexually assaulting a child under the age of 13. Wayne Lawrence Birch Jr., 53, of Hazel Drive faces felony counts of aggravated indecent assault of a child, aggravated indecent assault of a child under the...
Leechburg man accused of burglarizing woman’s house, pushing her down steps charged with felony
Leechburg police charged a man with burglary and assault after his former girlfriend accused him of breaking into her house and then pushing her down a flight of steps. Donovan Gary Dwire, 30, of the 300 block of Market Street in Leechburg was charged with a felony count of burglary...
Harrison police accuse home improvement contractor of taking money up front for work that wasn’t done
Harrison police have charged a home improvement contractor with half a dozen felony counts after two residents reported that they paid him money up front for work he never completed. Jason Raymond Mager, 46, of the 400 block of Ridge Avenue in Springdale faces two counts each of making false...
Fired Narcisi Winery employee accused of bilking $40K by discounting bills, pocketing difference
West Deer police accused a former employee of Narcisi Winery of stealing nearly $40,000 by applying a discount to patrons’ bills or voiding them altogether and pocketing the difference. Kevin William Weis, 52, of the 2800 block of Middle Road in Hampton was charged by summons with felony counts of...
Police accuse man of being drunk with child in car, assaulting woman
Northern Regional Police accused a Bucks County man of being drunk while driving with a toddler in his vehicle to a family Christmas dinner and then assaulting a woman when she asked him to pull over so she could take the wheel. Thomas William Cooke, 40, of Edgewood Road in...
Police: Raid, photos from rap video leads to multiple felony gun charge against Arnold man
Arnold police accused a convicted felon who is not permitted to possess a firearm of posing with multiple guns while recording a rap video and having two loaded pistols in his home. John’Tai Lamar Lee Cannon, 21, of the 300 block of 17th Street in Arnold was charged with five...
Publishers Clearinghouse Prize Patrol makes New Kensington woman $1 million richer
Jo Ann Sutherland said she didn’t hear the knocks or bell rings at her front door Friday afternoon because she was feeling under the weather and decided to nap on the couch. It took repeated telephone calls from the 78-year-old New Kensington woman’s neighbors to get her to answer the...
New Kensington man accused of punching ER nurse at AHN Allegheny Valley faces felony charge
A man who was found walking outside without shoes Monday in New Kensington was accused by police of assaulting a nurse at AHN Allegheny Valley Hospital after he was brought there to be checked out. Raimiynd Hezekia Glover, 21, of the 600 block of George Street in New Kensington was...
Police say New Kensington man endangered kids by storing crack he sold inside Halloween bag in his house
A New Kensington man was accused by police of placing young children in danger by storing cocaine he was allegedly selling in a Halloween bag that was found inside his house. Dominic Trevon Green, 32, of the 1100 block of Ross Avenue was charged with two counts of possession of...
Man charged with selling fentanyl, crack to informant during drug sting faces felony charges
Lower Burrell police accused a man of being a drug dealer after, they say, he sold crack cocaine to an informant during an undercover investigation. Luther Lewis Boyd, 41, of Bedford Avenue in Pittsburgh’s Hill District was charged with four felony counts of possession of drugs with the intent to...
Vandergrift police file felony charge after gun seen during investigation over loud music
Vandergrift police say a man who got into an argument with officers over loud music was charged with a felony for having a loaded pistol in his pocket when he tried to stop police from arresting his girlfriend during the incident. Wenndolph K. Vilmenay, 26, of the 1700 block of...
Dollar General accuses Parks’ store manager of stealing bank deposits
The store manager for the Dollar General in Parks Township faces multiple felony counts after a company official accused him of stealing more than $2,000 that was supposed to be deposited in the bank. Robert Thomas Carter, 38, of Emerson Street Court in Vandergrift was charged with felony burglary, criminal...
Police say drunk Unity man tried to steal cop car after crash in Oklahoma Borough with off-duty officer
State police said a Unity man was drunk when he wrecked into an off-duty police officer in Oklahoma Borough and then tried to escape by stealing a police cruiser. Richard Allen Wilden, 32, of the 900 block of Rolling Meadows Drive was charged with a felony count of attempted theft...
Lower Burrell police say stolen security cameras recorded the man who stole them
Lower Burrell police say a home’s security cameras recorded the man who stole them as he was carrying them away. In addition to the security cameras, police say, two pistols were stolen, along with an iPhone they were able to use to track him down. Naseam Lahmer, 30, of Lower...
Retired teachers pitch in to provide fun ‘diversions’ for kids being treated at Allegheny Valley Hospital in Harrion
A trip to the emergency room or a longer stay in a hospital can cause stress and anxiety for anyone. But for kids who don’t have a clue about what’s going on with them, going to the hospital can be downright frightening. To help them cope in such situations, hospital...
Lower Burrell police accuse woman of harassing neighbors, felony charge filed
A Lower Burrell woman was charged with a felony after police said they received multiple complaints that she was harassing her next-door neighbor. Shannan Lee Marie Dotto, 44, of the 7200 block of Guyer Road was charged by summons with felony and misdemeanor counts of stalking. She also was issued...
Woman accused of setting Harmar apartment fire on her eviction day faces charges
The woman who lived in the first-floor apartment of a house in Harmar that caught fire Tuesday has been accused of intentionally setting the blaze. Allegheny County Police say Marrisa Ash Szczpinski, 25, admitted to starting the fire in her apartment after being evicted for falling behind in her rent...
Northern Regional Police accuse man of failing to reveal prior drug use when trying to buy gun
Northern Regional Police charged a man with a felony after they say he failed to acknowledge his previous drug use when filling out the application to buy a gun at a sporting goods store in Richland. James Sergei Betts, 28, of the 9800 block of Presidential Drive in McCandless, was...
House fire in Harmar being investigated as possible arson, no injuries reported
The Allegheny County Fire Marshal’s Office will investigate whether a fire that broke out in a two-story home in Harmar on Tuesday afternoon was set intentionally by a tenant who was being evicted, authorities said. Multiple departments responded to the fire reported at 12:30 p.m. in the 2500 block of...
Cupcakes for Cohen closes abruptly; police investigating
A West View cupcake business launched in 2017 by a family trying to raise money to cover the medical expenses for their gravely ill son has abruptly closed. A message posted on the Facebook page for Cupcakes for Cohen on Sunday outlined the problems they are experiencing and asked customers...
Faces of the Valley: 2 local workers receive Women of Excellence award from national manufacturing trade group
Two women working for Alle-Kiski Valley companies recently were recognized by a national organization that focuses on supporting women in the manufacturing industry. Pamela Neale, a senior tool designer for JK Tool Inc. in Upper Burrell, and Paula Burkett, an order entry coordinator for J.V. Manufacturing Co. in Harrison, recently...

