Driver faces numerous charges following hit-run crash in city

With a 3-year-old child belted in the front passenger seat of the 1996 Ford pickup truck, driver Roland Alexander Zerbe, 30, of 820 Fifth Ave., struck two parked vehicles in the 700 block of Fifth Avenue about 9:45 p.m. and fled the scene on foot with the child, city police alleged. A witness reported that Zerbe was seen going into his nearby home with the child at 820 Fifth Ave. The owner of the truck turned out to be Zerbe’s mother, who initially claimed that she was the driver of the vehicle, but then admitted her son was the one behind the wheel, police said.

Zerbe came outside and when the officer questioned him about the hit-run crash, Zerbe denied being the driver, claiming “he had been home drinking” as he held a bottle of vodka in his hand, police said in an affidavit. When asked if any child had been in the truck, Zerbe said he “had not been driving with a kid in the vehicle,” the court document stated. Zerbe’s girlfriend, who was at the house, identified the child who she said was with Zerbe at the time of the crash. Upon seeing the child, the officer saw she was bleeding from a fresh scratch on her face, and there was redness on the right side of her neck that in all likelihood was caused by a seatbelt, police said. The child was not in a safety seat, police said.

Zerbe admitted he was the driver and that he fled the scene because his license was suspended, said police, who confirmed that it was suspended due to a DUI offense. He was arraigned Wednesday before District Judge Aaron Biichle on a felony charge of endangering the welfare of child, fleeing the scene of an accident in which someone was injured, recklessly endangering for failing to get medical care for the injured child, accidents involving damage to unattended vehicles (hit-run) and four other summary offenses. He was released on $15,000 bail.

Union County woman faces multiple counts of identity theft

Kristie Hipple, 50, of Mifflinburg, has been arrested on a total of five felony counts of identity theft and two misdemeanor counts of the same charge for setting up seven credit card accounts in her elderly mother’s name without the woman’s permission, Hughesville Patrolman William Hagemeyer alleged in a two-page affidavit filed at the office of District Judge Kirsten Gardner. The total amount of the charges that were racked up on five of the credit cards was just under $4,000 while the amounts on two other cards were unknown, police said. The accounts were established between 2023 and earlier this year. It was alleged. Hipple, who recently waived her preliminary hearing, remains free on $15,000 bail.

In separate cases, two charged three times with shoplifting at supermarket

Jamiee Lynn Feigles, 35, of 325 High St., apartment 2A, has been arrested and jailed on charges of allegedly stealing merchandise on three occasions at Wegmans, 201 William St., according to court records filed by city police at Biichle’s office. Police said that on Jan. 19, Feigles walked out of the supermarket with $42 worth of wine. The following day, she walked out with more wine and assorted food that totaled $46, police alleged. On March 2, Feigles allegedly stole nearly another $70 worth of merchandise from the business, police said. Following her arraignment Wednesday on three misdemeanor counts of shoplifting and two counts of receiving stolen property, Feigles was committed to the Lycoming County Prison in lieu of $5,000 bail.

In the other case, Joseph John Deangelo III, 41, of 539 Fifth Ave., who already has two shoplifting convictions, was arrested and charged with three felony shoplifting charges for stealing merchandise from the same store on Feb. 25 and twice on March 1, city police alleged in an affidavit. The total value of the merchandise was $66, police said. Jailed in lieu of $15,000 bail, Deangelo has since waived his preliminary hearing.

City man arrested after allegedly sending lewd text messages to minor

Marvin Andre Smith Jr., 40, of 673 Campbell St., has been jailed on felony charges of unlawful contact with a minor and corrupting the morals of a minor for allegedly sending inappropriate lewd text messages to a female juvenile in the 800 block of Penn Street on Feb. 19, according to city police. Arraigned last week before Biichle, Smith remains committed to the county prison in lieu of $10,000 bail.

Hit-run misdemeanor charge lodged against local driver

After striking a parked pickup truck in the 800 block of Memorial Avenue, motorist Andrew Gerard Peters, driving a Ford pickup truck, kept going for several blocks until he stopped and was questioned by the man who was sitting in the parked vehicle, city police alleged. While he gave his name and telephone number, Peters refused to give the victim any insurance information about his vehicle, police said. Damage to the victim’s truck was estimated at $1,600, police said. The hit-run crash occurred nearly a year ago, last April 11, police said. Officers made several attempts to try to reach the 64-year-old Peters, who carried addresses in Williamsport and South Williamsport, according to court records. At one point, Peters spoke to an officer on the telephone, but then hung up on him, it was stated in an affidavit. It was unknown how investigators actually tracked him down because the address on his driver’s license was “vacant,” police said. In early November, he was charged with accidents involving damage to attended vehicle (hit-run), a misdemeanor, as well as one summary offense. Peters waived his preliminary hearing before Biichle on March 5 and remained free on $2,500 bail.

South Williamsport man charged with stalking

Despite being told last week by the Montoursville woman that she no longer wanted to have any communication with him, Austin Michael Stugart continued to text her and then “started showing up at her home” on Weldon Street, “causing safety concerns,” borough police alleged in an affidavit. Even after Stugart was told on March 9 that the police had been contacted, he still came to the woman’s home the next day, it was stated in the court document. Taken into custody on Wednesday on one misdemeanor charge of stalking, Stugart, 23, of 640 Route 15, South Williamsport, was jailed in lieu of $10,000 bail.