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POLICE BLOTTER

Police: Shoplifter tries to steal from same store twice in 1 day

Shortly after noon on Oct. 10, Darryl L. Franklin walked out of the Family Dollar store at 1221 W. Fourth St. without paying for $53 worth of merchandise, which included soap, shampoo, laundry detergent and diapers, city police alleged in court papers.

Two hours later, the 40-year-old man was back in the store, but this time he was nabbed by police after allegedly trying to steal another $93 worth of merchandise.

When Franklin, of 830 Park Ave., was caught, there already were two bench warrants issued for his arrest on other issues, so he automatically was placed in the Lycoming County Prison.

Franklin was taken from the jail last week and arraigned before District James Carn on two misdemeanor counts of shoplifting. He was recommitted in lieu of $5,000 bail.

Man accused of stealing from employer

A Linden-area man has been charged with illegally using his former employer’s credit card to pay for two telephone bills as well as for fines and costs that he owned, state police alleged.

William Hanner, 31, of 47 Harvest Moon Park, faces one felony count of access device fraud for illegal use of a Steam Specialist LCC credit card to pay a $244 phone bill on June 23 and a $271 phone bill on July 21, police said.

Police allege he also used the credit card to pay fines and court costs of $246 on June 23. He was terminated from the company in early July, police said.

Following his arraignment last week before District Judge James H. Sortman, Hanner was released on $10,000 bail.

Man waives hearing on assault charge

Lee Alan Sauers, 42, of State College, has waived his preliminary hearing on city police charges of simple assault and harassment and is free on $2,500 bail.

The charges stem from Sauers allegedly punching Andy Watson in the face inside the Cell Block, 154 W. Third St., about 1:30 a.m. Aug. 2, police said.

Lancaster man accused of swiping suitcase

Samuel B. Thompson, 20, of Lancaster, has been charged with theft and felony trespassing for allegedly stealing Juan Hernandez’s $150 suitcase from his apartment at 610 Grace St. shortly after Thompson had been evicted from the property in late September, city police said.

Following his recent arraignment, Thompson was committed to the Lycoming County Prison in lieu of bail.

Man accused of punching wife

Michael Dean Russell, 59, of 1009 Calvert Ave., has been charged with simple assault and harassment for allegedly punching his wife, Rhoda, in the face at the couple’s home about 7:20 p.m. Friday, city police said.

Arraigned before District Judge James H. Sortman, Russell was committed to the Lycoming County Prison in lieu of $7,500 bail.

Bench warrants issued for trio

Bench warrants were expected to be issued for two Centre County women after they recently failed to appear for their preliminary hearings on state police charges of possession of controlled substances and possession of drug paraphernalia, according to court records filed at the office of District Judge Jerry C. Lepley.

Police said Heather Marie Morency, 25, and Melissa K. Parham, 21, both of Milheim, had 13 pills of a prescribed drug without having a valid prescription for the controlled substance on Route 220 in Woodward Township on Aug. 29.

In a third case, a bench warrant also was expected to be issued for Edward Joseph Bickel II, 28, of 107 S. Washington St., Muncy, after he failed to appear last week for his preliminary hearing before District Judge James Carn on two counts of simple assault filed by city police.

The charges stem from Bickel allegedly attacking Richard Green in the 400 block of West Fourth Street about 12:40 p.m. July 28, police said.

Bickel also elbowed Katie Raisch in the stomach when she tried to come to Green’s aid, police alleged. Both victims were treated at the Williamsport Regional Medical Center.

Teen allegedly stole housemate’s iPod

Cody Wayne Hakes, 18, of 641 Second Ave., has been charged with theft and receiving stolen property for allegedly stealing Briana Kurtz’s iPad from her bedroom on Sept. 6, city police said. Kurtz also lives at the Second Avenue address.

Following his arraignment last week before District Judge James Carn, Hakes was released on $3,500 bail.

2-time shoplifter nabbed again for same crime

Tammy Linn Beamer, 41, of 2701 Lycoming Creek Road, has been charged with felony shoplifting after she was caught allegedly trying to steal $5 worth of merchandise from Dollar General, 2062 Lycoming Creek Road, on Nov. 6, Old Lycoming Township police.

Beamer, who already has two shoplifting convictions, was arraigned before District Judge James H. Sortman and committed to the Lycoming County Prison in lieu of $10,000 bail.

Texas man faces assault charges

A Texas man staying with his girlfriend at the Holiday Inn Express and Suites, 90 Pine St., has been charged with simple assault and harassment for allegedly assaulting the woman in their guest room about 12:10 a.m. Oct. 31, city police said.

James Earl Byers, 53, of Whitehouse, was arraigned that night before District Judge Jerry C. Lepley and jailed but he since has been released on $20,000 after waiving his preliminary hearing. Court records did not identify the woman.

Woman arrested after boyfriend caught at her home

Mariah C. Valentine had been warned that her boyfriend, Jonathan Pedraza, was wanted on a bench warrant but that did not deter the 23-year-old Newberry Estates resident from allowing Pedraza to stay at her apartment last Wednesday night, city police said.

The next day, police went to Valentine’s apartment at 2500 Federal Ave., where they found Pedraza and took him into custody on the bench warrant.

Valentine turned herself in Monday morning to face a felony charge of hindering apprehension, police said. Following her arraignment before District Judge James Carn, she was released on $15,000 bail.

In another criminal case involving the 23-year-old Pedraza, the county’s Narcotics Enforcement Unit charged him with possession with intent to deliver heroin and related offenses stemming from an incident in the 700 block of High Street on May 7, according to court records.

At his arraignment Friday on charges in this case, Pedraza, formerly of Morse Drive in Warrensville, told District Judge James H. Sortman that he most recently was “living on the streets.”

He was recommitted in lieu of $100,000 bail.

Police Blotter

Daniel S. Westover, 45, of 64 School St., Westover, has been charged with driving under the influence, careless driving and driving with an open alcoholic beverage container in the vehicle.

City police Officer Brian McGee said he found Westover in his vehicle with an open can of beer at a crash scene on Route 15 where he had struck a guide rail.

McGee said he detected the odor of alcohol on Westover, who refused to perform standard field sobriety tests and had slurred speech.

McGee transported Westover to Williamsport Regional Medical Center for a blood draw.

After being brought before District Judge Jerry Lepley, Westover could not post the $2,500 bail and was deemed unfit for arraignment due to being too intoxicated, according to court documents.

His preliminary hearing is Nov. 25 in front of District Judge James Carn.

24-year-old man arrested for alleged drug possession

Robert Hopkins, 24, of 2117 Newberry St., is accused of possession of a controlled substance and of drug paraphernalia, according to court documents.

The arresting officer, Justin Ottaviano, was dispatched Aug. 13 by the accused’s parole officer, who said he was conducting a routine house check on his parolee when allegedly he found marijuana and synthetic marijuana in Hopkins’ home.

Bail has been set at $10,000, and Hopkins awaits a preliminary hearing Thursday in front of District Judge Allen Page.

Muncy sex offender accused of failing to register address

MUNCY – Roger D. Geiger, 41, of 562 Pepper St., is accused of failure to register as a sex offender, according to court documents.

Though Geiger had been reminded of the window in which he had to register at his address, he allegedly failed to do so, police said.

His bail was set at $15,000 but he was unable to post it. Geiger is awaiting his preliminary hearing Friday in front of District Court Judge Jon Kemp.

Jersey Shore woman accused of assaulting girlfriend

Angelia R. Tucker, 24, of 215 Thompson St., Apt. 2, Jersey Shore, is accused of simple assault, according to court documents.

Tucker allegedly got into a physical altercation with her girlfriend, Markel Wheeland, which resulted in Wheeland being hospitalized with a concussion and complaints of having trouble with the vision in her left eye, police reported.

After being arraigned in front of District Judge Jerry Lepley, bail was set at $5,000. Tucker posted bail and her preliminary hearing is Dec. 3 in front of Lepley.

POLICE BLOTTER

Man accused of harassing mother-in-law

John Earl Walker III, 54, of 528 Ruben Kehrer Road, Muncy, has been charged with misdemeanor harassment for allegedly calling his former mother-in-law on his cellphone and telling her he “wished her son and daughter would be dead and that she would be next,” according to state police.

Walker made the alleged call from his Fairfield Township home on Sept. 8, police said. Following his recent arraignment, he was committed to the Lycoming County Prison in lieu of $5,000 bail.

Accused jewelry thief blames actions on heroin addiction

Giuliano Gardner, 21, of 1513 Walnut St., faces theft-related charges for allegedly stealing jewelry valued in excess of $600 from Nik’s Goldsmith, 1140 Hancock St., in mid-July, according to city police.

Investigators also allege that he sold the jewelry to a local business for $250.

The owner of Nik’s Goldsmith, Nikolas Lenois, told police that Gardner admitted to stealing the jewelry, apologized and blamed it on his heroin addiction, according to court records.

Charged with theft, theft by deception and receiving stolen property, Gardner is free on $2,500 bail.

Resident allegedly keeps boots sent to wrong address

JERSEY SHORE – On the morning of Oct. 17, a deliveryman accidentally delivered a box with a new pair of boots to Gayle Lynn Burkholder’s front door at 124 Locust St., according to Tiadaghton Valley Regional Police.

Even though the address on the box said Wilson Street, the 45-year-old woman opened it and gave the boots to her teenage daughter, police said in an affidavit.

The mother now is charged with the misdemeanor offense of theft of property delivered by accident, police said.

Burkholder allowed her daughter to wear the boots even though she knew the package was delivered to the wrong house, police allege. She has been sent a summons to appear before District Judge Jerry C. Lepley.

Police: Puppy has ‘accident’ on floor; man throws it at wall

A Woodward Township man faces a charge of cruelty to animals for allegedly “maliciously maiming and disfiguring a 4-month-old pit bull puppy by throwing it against a wall” at his home, according to the local chapter of the Society for the Prevention of Cruelty of Animals.

Timothy W. Kuhns II, 27, of 705 Daughertys Run Road, has been charged as a result of an incident that occurred on Oct. 10, court records state.

Kuhns, who was upset with the puppy because it urinated on the laundry room floor, has been sent a summons to appear before District Judge Jerry C. Lepley.

The SPCA has taken custody of the dog as it recovers.

Police blotter

Man allegedly brings knives,

gun to Montoursville football game

Brett Michael Sechrist, 19, of 1940 Glynn Ave., has been charged with three counts of possessing weapons on school property for allegedly having on him two knives and a BB gun when he was at a football game at Montoursville Area High School, 100 N. Arch St., on the night of Sept. 12, according to borough police.

Sechrist pulled out the BB handgun and waved it around in the air for others to see, police said.

Following his recent arraignment before District Judge Gary A. Whiteman, he was released on $2,500 bail.

2 students face additional charges

Two Pennsylvania College of Technology students face additional theft-related charges for allegedly using a stolen debit card owned by a third student, according to Penn College police said.

Gabriel T. Atkinson, 19, of Brooklyn, New York, and Jamaal Daniel Stewart, 18, formerly of Brooklyn now living in Henryville, Monroe County, conspired together in using a debit card owned by Tyler Hess.

Hess reported his wallet missing on Sept. 3, the same day Atkinson and Stewart allegedly used Hess’ card illegally at Sunoco and Advanced Auto, both on Dewey Avenue in Old Lycoming Township, and Wendy’s Restaurant, on Maynard Street in the city, police said.

Atkinson and Stewart have each been arraigned on additional charges of conspiracy to commit identity theft and conspiracy to commit access device fraud, police said. Stewart also faces charges of theft and receiving stolen property while Atkinson also has been charged with one additional count each of identity theft and access device fraud, police said.

Following their recent arraignments, the two were released on $35,000 bail each. They, along with a third student, were arrested in September on charges of using a stolen credit card belonging to another student at four local stores and once on the Internet, Penn College police said.

City motorist faces charges

A city motorist faces charges after he allegedly fled the scene of a two-vehicle crash on Route 87 in Plunketts Creek Township in which the other driver suffered minor injuries, state police said.

Patrick Leslie Houseknecht, 54, of 836 Memorial Ave., has been charged with accidents resulting in death or personal injury and accidents involving damage to attended vehicle stemming from the 10:30 p.m. crash on Aug. 6.

Houseknecht, who also has been charged with six summary traffic violations including careless driving and failure to render aid, was arraigned before District Judge Gary A. Whiteman and released on $2,500 bail.

2 face shoplifting charges

Two people, in separate cases, have been charged with misdemeanor shoplifting, according to court records. They are:

John Charles Gleason, 26, of Mansfield, was charged for allegedly stealing $377 worth of merchandise from Target at Lycoming Crossing on Aug. 6. Charged also with receiving stolen property, he has been sent a summons to appear before District Judge Jon E. Kemp.

Angela Sue Arnold, 45, of 1556 Riverside Drive, South Williamsport, was caught allegedly trying to steal $28 worth of merchandise from the Weis Market, 620 W. Third St., on Sept. 3, city police said. She waived her preliminary hearing last week and is free on $5,000 bail.

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