City man charged with abuse of corpse

As his mother lay dead in the Loyalsock Township apartment they shared in mid-February, Roosevelt Short, 26, went about “his daily activities without making anyone aware of her death” or making any effort to notify authorities, state police alleged in an affidavit. On the morning of Feb. 16, state troopers were called to the apartment in the 2000 block of East Third St. to investigate a report of a woman found deceased by a home health aide, it was stated in an affidavit. It was clear to a criminal investigator at the scene that the woman had been dead “for a considerable amount of time, at least 24 to 36 hours,” the court document stated. The woman died of natural causes, police said.

When initially questioned by investigators, Short claimed he only realized his mother was dead after he was awakened by the home health aid that same morning, police said. “He held to this version of events for some time before finally admitting he knew as early as Feb. 15 that his mother was dead, but he had no idea what to do about it. He was scared he would be homeless if he reported it,” the affidavit stated.

Through their investigation, troopers learned that Short and a female had allegedly smoked crystal methamphetamine in the apartment on Feb. 14. The female told investigators that when she showed up at the apartment that day, she saw Short’s mother lying on a bed. “Short told the female that his mother was sleeping and that she was fine,” according to the court document. In a telephone conversation with Short earlier the same day, Short initially told the female he “believed his mother was dead, but later in the same conversation, Short assured her that his mother was still alive,” police said, adding that methamphetamine was later found in the apartment when investigators executed a search warrant there.

Charged with abuse of corpse, possession of methamphetamine and possession of drug paraphernalia, Short, now living at 1223 Isabella St., was held for court Monday on all three misdemeanors and released on $15,000 bail set by District Judge Gary Whiteman.

City man allegedly assaulted pedestrian

Daniel Angel Martinez, 20, of 1426 Park Ave., was charged with simple assault and harassment after punching a pedestrian “multiple times in the face,” knocking him to the ground in the 1700 block of East Third Street in Third Street in Loyalsock Township about 9 a.m. on April 27, state alleged in court documents. While riding an E-bike, Martinez fell off while attempting to pass the man on his right, police said. Martinez stated he yelled at the pedestrian to move out of his way, but he lost his balance on the cycle when he attempted to pass the man, police said. Martinez, who said the mishap happened because the victim would not get out of his way, admitted he became irate and punched the pedestrian, police said. Following his arraignment hours later before District Judge Aaron Biichle, Martinez was released on $5,000 bail.

Police accuse woman of false reports

Each time she calls 911, Joan Marie Beaver claims she is suffering a medical emergency, but city police allege that is simply not the case and that Beaver’s continuous calls amount to abusing the 911 system, according to an affidavit. This year alone, the 64 year-old woman called 911 more than 30 times for various medical problems that police believe many were insincere. The latest incident took place on Friday when she again called 911, police said, adding that she was taken to the hospital, where she underwent a series of tests that proved no evidence that she was suffering with any particular medical problem. Beaver, of 739 Grace St., apartment 207, was discharged and arraigned before Gardner on three misdemeanor counts of false reports to law enforcement. She remains jailed in lieu of $1,500 bail.