Charges continue to mount against city man

A new set of theft-related charges have been filed by city police against David Murrell Smith, 63, of 334 Walnut St., apartment 1, who is accused of stealing another person’s cellphone at business, according to an affidavit filed at the office of District Judge Aaron Biichle. In the latest criminal complaint, it is alleged that Smith stole a man’s cellphone from the Stereo Shoppe, 900 Washington Blvd. on Aug. 6. The phone was recovered three days later when he was arrested for stealing a phone from UPMC Williamsport, police said. Smith has already waived his preliminary hearing on the charges concerning the theft at the hospital and remains jailed in the county prison in lieu of $20,000 bail. Charged with theft and receiving stolen property in this latest case, Smith last week also waived his hearing for this incident in which bail was set at $5,000.

Smith, a state parolee, will face further court action not only for these two theft cases, but earlier this year he waived a hearing for a Montoursville police felony charge that was filed following a retail theft at the Weis Market on North Loyalsock Avenue on July 29. Bail in this case was $20,000.

City man allegedly punched juvenile son

Terrance Decatus, 32, of 848 Memorial Ave., has been charged with endangering the welfare of a child and simple assault for punching a juvenile son multiple times in the house on Sept. 3, city police alleged in an affidavit. The minor suffered “a bloody nose,” police said. Decatur has waived his preliminary hearing before Biichle and is free on $5,000 on bail.

Lairdsville area woman charged twice with DUI in four days

Just four days after striking a pedestrian on Dutchtown Road in Mill Creek Township as she was driving a Kia Optima while allegedly impaired, motorist Christa Marie Garrison was charged yet again with DUI, according to state police records filed at the office of District Judge Kirsten Gardner. The latest incident occurred on Sept. 2 when state troopers stopped her while she was driving a friend’s 2007 Ford Edge at Race and Mill Street in Wolf Township about 3 a.m., police said. She was stopped because of a minor infraction with the car’s license plate, police said. During the troopers’ encounter with her, the 44-year-old Garrison showed “multiple indicators of impairment,” it was stated in an affidavit. She admitted to using methamphetamine several hours before getting behind the wheel, police said. It was the troopers’ opinion that Garrison, of 6731 Route 118, Lairdsville, “was operating the vehicle while under the influence of drugs,” the affidavit stated. A blood test confirmed methamphetamine and amphetamine, a stimulant, were in her system, police said. She also had methamphetamine in the car, police added.

Besides DUI, Garrison has been charged with possession of a controlled substance, possession of drug paraphernalia and three summary violations. She has waived her preliminary hearing and is free on $2,500 bail. She already has waived her preliminary hearing on the DUI-related offenses stemming from the Aug. 29 pedestrian incident.