Allegheny category, Page 137
Police file charges against inmate responsible for Allegheny County Jail fire
An Allegheny County Jail inmate was charged Friday after a fire in an air vent inside his cell, county police said. Brian Leach, 49, was charged with one count of criminal mischief and three counts of recklessly endangering another person. The fire happened Monday in Leach’s cell, detectives determined, and...
Supporters start Christmas card campaign for Oakmont man imprisoned in Russia
Friends and family of an Oakmont native imprisoned in Russia on marijuana charges hope the holiday spirit can boost attention to his case and get the State Department to help bring him home. Marc Fogel has been detained in Russia for more than two years after he was arrested at...
Munhall police officer arrested after standoff in Shaler
A Munhall police officer was arrested Friday after a standoff at his Shaler home during a domestic incident, investigators said. James Williams, a sergeant and detective, is charged with simple assault and harassment after an argument between he and his wife escalated, according to a criminal complaint. Police responded to...
Former West Mifflin firefighter accused of sexual assault of 2 teenage girls
A former West Mifflin firefighter is accused of sexually assaulting two teenage girls in October. A 14-year-old girl told investigators she was assaulted by Christopher Barker, 20, of South Park, in the banquet hall of the West Mifflin Duquesne Annex Fire Station, according to a complaint filed by West Mifflin...
Gun confiscated at Pittsburgh International Airport is 42nd for the year, 2nd in as many days
Another passenger was caught with a gun in his carry-on bag at Pittsburgh International Airport on Thursday evening, according to Allegheny County Police. It was the second such incident in as many days. Luis Arce, 35, of Somerville, Mass., did not possess a valid concealed carry permit to carry the...
Trial begins in 2015 rape case
The video of the alleged sexual assault no longer exists. But audio of the defendant discussing it with the woman accusing him does. The question before the jury is: Will it be enough to prove beyond a reasonable doubt that a crime occurred? James Taric Byrd, 45, formerly of Pittsburgh,...
Tree of Life unveils memorial to victims of 2018 synagogue shooting
It’s been five long years since Diane Rosenthal’s brothers, Cecil and David, were killed during a Saturday morning Shabbat service in Squirrel Hill. Part of her family’s struggle has been deciding how to ask Pittsburgh and others to remember the two Jewish congregants known to their community as “the boys.”...
Liberty Tunnel, McCardle Roadway reopen after nearly 5-hour closure due to multi-vehicle crash
The Liberty Tunnel has been reopened after a multi-vehicle crash at PJ McCardle Roadway had it closed for nearly four hours Thursday. Pittsburgh Public Safety officials said nine cars were involved in a collision around 5:15 p.m. and remained closed until about 10 p.m. Public Safety spokeswoman Cara Cruz said...
Rooster’s Roadhouse employee remembers 1800s-era Collier tavern destroyed by fire
Tiffany Parnes had worked at Rooster’s Roadhouse in Collier for only a couple of weeks. But she sensed something special about the historic tavern, from its wood-paneled walls and game room’s high-backed chairs to the homemade, honey jalapeno-flavored relish in which it marinated its Buffalo wings every Wednesday. “Their food...
Record 41st gun seized at Pittsburgh International Airport checkpoint, TSA says
Allegheny County Police arrested a Pittsburgh man on Wednesday after authorities said he brought a loaded gun to Pittsburgh International Airport. Transportation Security Administration officers’ move to confiscate the .380-caliber handgun, which was loaded with six bullets, brings the total number of guns caught at the airport’s checkpoints this year...
Video footage before Uber driver’s killing in Monroeville can be used in court, judge rules
An Allegheny County judge this week said that the Pitcairn man accused of killing an Uber driver did not have the right to privacy inside the car where he attacked the woman. Calvin Crew, 24, is scheduled for trial in the death penalty case in January before Common Pleas Judge...
Malnourished cat found at Pittsburgh airport begins new life with officer
A new chapter for Spirit began last week at Pittsburgh International Airport. Spirit the stray cat, not the airline. An Allegheny County Police officer stepped up to provide a home and a name for the female cat, the department reported on its Facebook page. The cat was “extremely malnourished” and...
Pitt students, friends hold memorial vigil for pedestrian killed by UPMC shuttle bus
Emily Watson read books voraciously, exercised each day at the gym, and drove frequently to Presque Isle Beach, where she liked to watch the sun set over Lake Erie and reflect. A Pittsburgher and Point Park University alumna, Watson supervised the transport department at UPMC Presbyterian hospital in Oakland and...
Rankin police Chief Jeremi Gregory remembered as a champion of the community
Rankin police Chief Jeremi Gregory was the embodiment of a man walking in his purpose, with a magnanimous presence and a genuine soul, according to those who knew him best. He was a cop’s cop, according to those who knew him well. “He wouldn’t ask his cops to do anything...
Ex-con headed to Allegheny County court in fatal Stowe Township shooting
A jitney-driving ex-con who said he was looking to buy drugs is headed to Allegheny County court next month in connection with the fatal Nov. 22 shooting of a Stowe Township man, authorities said. Allegheny County Police had charged Arrmon Hagans, 43, of Wilkinsburg, with criminal homicide; three counts each...
Judge nixes minimum wage hike for Allegheny County workers
An effort to establish and increase a minimum wage up to $20 an hour for Allegheny County employees was ruled invalid by a judge this week. The bill was challenged by Allegheny County Executive Rich Fitzgerald after it was passed over his veto. Fitzgerald said when he filed an action...
Ross man gets probation for threatening congresswoman, senator
A Ross man who federal prosecutors said threatened members of Congress will serve a year of probation, including six months on house arrest. Harry E. Miller, 65, was sentenced Wednesday by U.S. District Judge Arthur J. Schwab. Miller was indicted by a federal grand jury in 2021 and charged with...
Allegheny County Executive-elect Sara Innamorato focusing transition on community input
With less than a month until she takes office, Allegheny County Executive-elect Sara Innamorato is undertaking a large transition effort with a focus on gathering community input from across the county. “I want the county’s priorities to be the community’s priorities,” Innamorato told a crowd of about 200 people at...
Rankin police chief dies
Rankin police Chief Jeremi Gregory died Tuesday, the borough announced on its Facebook page. “Chief you will be greatly missed and remembered by all,” the borough posted. Officials didn’t indicate the cause of Gregory’s death or his age. Gregory served with the borough department since July 2018, according to his...
Morning Roundup: Crews battle blaze at Collier Township restaurant
Here are some of the latest news items from this morning, Wednesday, Dec. 6: Crews battle blaze at Collier Township restaurant Firefighters responded shortly after 3 a.m. Wednesday to battle a fire at Rooster’s Roadhouse along Thoms Run Road in Collier Township, Allegheny County. Crews continued to douse the flames...
Allegheny County Council passes amended budget with increase in community college funding
Allegheny County is a step closer to finalizing its 2024 budget after the council passed an amended budget that includes large increases for the Community College of Allegheny County. Allegheny County Executive Rich Fitzgerald proposed a budget of just over $3 billion in October, and council proposed an amended version...
Lawsuit alleges Clean Water Act violations from Beaver County plastics manufacturer
Two nonprofit environmental organizations filed a federal Clean Water Act lawsuit on Tuesday against a Beaver County manufacturer that they said is illegally discharging millions of tiny plastic pellets into the water and riverbanks around Raccoon Creek and the Ohio River. The lawsuit, filed by PennEnvironment and Three Rivers Waterkeeper,...
Monroeville parents whose 5-year-old killed younger sibling get probation, house arrest
The parents of a 5-year-old Monroeville boy who shot and killed his 3-year-old sister in 2021 were sentenced to probation on Tuesday. Martaz Colvin, 31, who pleaded guilty to involuntary manslaughter and recklessly endangering another person, and Brea Sanders, 29, who pleaded guilty to recklessly endangering another person were sentenced...
3 hospitalized after fire in 6th-floor cell at Allegheny County Jail
Three people were hospitalized late Monday after a small fire broke out at the Allegheny County Jail, Pittsburgh police said. Police and firefighters responded to the jail on Second Avenue at about 10:30 p.m. for reports of “smoke inside the building,” police spokeswoman Cara Cruz said. Firefighters found the smoke...
Large fire breaks out at Shaler home
At least 10 fire departments responded to a large house fire Monday evening in Shaler. According to Cherry City volunteer fire Chief, Nick Skalos, the fire started at 5:30 p.m. in the garage of the home in the 300 block of Hawthorne Road. He said that the fire extended into...
