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City man arrested following domestic with ex-wife
While grabbing a pair of knives, Steven Tyler Manning told his ex-wife "I wish I could murder you" and "I'm going to rip your throat out" during a domestic disturbance at the woman's apartment in the 700 block of West Edwin Street about 3:15 p.m. Saturday, city police alleged in an affidavit.
"Two children in the apartment were terrorized by their father's menacing behavior," the affidavit stated. One child was so scared that he "hid in his bedroom with the door locked," police said. Manning, 34, of 743 W. Edwin St., was arraigned before District Judge Christian Frey on charges of terroristic threats, simple assault and harassment, and committed to the Lycoming County Prison in lieu of $15,000 bail.
Montoursville woman faces two sets of charges
Just one day after Montousville police arrested her for DUI in the borough, Michelle D. Thomas was taken into custody yet again; this time on Oct. 26 following a domestic disturbance after she assaulted her husband in the couple's home at 512 Chestnut St. as he was holding a child in his arms, it was alleged in court papers.
It was about 4:45 p.m. when the husband came home with the children to find his 35-year-old wife "highly intoxicated. He noticed 15 beer cans in the trash," an officer wrote in affidavit. When the husband told his wife he was leaving the house, Michelle punched him in the neck as he was holding a child, police said. "After he sat the child down and turned around, Michelle kicked him in the stomach," police alleged in the affidavit.
When officers arrived at the couple's home, Thomas "was highly intoxicated and smelled heavily of an alcoholic beverage," an officer said. The husband told police "he had been dealing with his wife's heavy drinking all weekend," the affidavit stated.
Just the day before, on Oct. 25, police responded three times in four hours to the couple's house to deal with "issues involving Thomas' alcohol use," an officer said in another affidavit. Just after 4 p.m., an officer responded to the home after Thomas, who was intoxicated, "punched a hole in a window, cutting her hand," the affidavit stated. A short time later, police returned to the house after Thomas' husband found fresh damage on the couple's 2017 Chevrolet Traverse. "I could not prove that she was behind the wheel for this incident, so no charges were filed," an officer said. "Thomas was passed out due to her intoxication and could not be questioned," the officer added.
About 8:30 p.m. police were notified yet again after Thomas' husband called 911 to report that his wife just left the house in the couple's SUV "drunk," and was heading toward the Montoursville Area High School, court records stated. An officer began looking for Thomas and the vehicle, but he could not locate her so he decided to drive past the couple's home to see if by chance she had returned. As he was driving down Chestnut Street, he spotted Thomas coming his way and saw her pull into her driveway, court records stated. Based on Thomas' alleged intoxication,the officer arrested her right on the spot, but it took two officers to handcuff her because she put up a struggle, police said. Thomas denied driving the car, police said.
Court records state that her husband told police that "Thomas was in bed, woke up, grabbed a set of keys and left in the vehicle. That is when he called 911." Thomas was taken to UPMC Williamsport, but she refused to provide a blood sample and was returned home.
Following the alleged assault on her husband the next day, Thomas was arraigned before District Judge Denise Dieter on charges of simple assault, endangering the welfare of a child and harassment. She was committed to the Lycoming County Prison in lieu of $15,000 bail. Four days later, borough police filed charges of resisting arrest, DUI and one summary offense, all stemming from the incident on Oct. 25. She waived preliminary hearing both set of charges on Monday.
Williamsport area woman arrested on felony charges
Heather James, 45, of 3731 Lycoming Creek Road, lot C3, was arrested Saturday morning on felony charges of forgery, access device fraud, theft by deception and attempted theft by deception after she opened a new account by depositing seven fraudulent checks totaling $49,329 at Truist, 204 Hepburn St., back in November 2021, city police alleged. After making the deposits, she withdrew nearly $10,000 from her account, which was not there, police said. Following her arraignment before Frey, she was released on $15,000 bail.
Contractor faces charges for allegedly failing to complete project
Felony charges were filed this month against contractor Brandon Lee O'Connell, 28, of 5511 Moreland Baptist Road, Unityville, after he failed to complete a $65,000 home-improvement project last year at the residence of Corbin Woodling on Roderick Road, city police alleged in an affidavit. In mid-April 2022, O'Connell and Woodling signed a contract in which O'Connell was to refinish the basement, a project that was to begin on May 2 and be completed in three to four months, court records stated.
However, by the end of last month, after Woodling invested $63,400 into the work, the project still had not been completed, police said. O'Connell, owner of Next Gen LLC, told Woodling last February that he was "downsizing his business, currently finishing another job, but would return in two weeks," the affidavit stated. This past June, O'Connell told Woodling he was "transitioning carriers and could complete the basement work in July," police said.
Even after coming to the house nine times between July 4 and Aug. 13, much work was left undone, including "lights, outlets and baseboard heater all need to be installed; wiring is hanging from uninstalled fixtures; the shower is not finished, sinks, vanity and toilet are not installed," and much more, including cabinets, doors and countertops still need to be put in place, police said.
Charged with home improvement fraud, theft by deception and fraudulent business practices, O'Connell has waived his preliminary hearing before District Judge Aaron Biichle and is free on $50,000 bail.
Two women charged with shoplifting in separate cases
Carrie Elaine Daniels, 53, of Watsontown, has been charged with misdemeanor shoplifting after she was caught trying to steal $54 worth of merchandise from Walmart, 1015 N. Loyalsock Ave., Montoursville on Aug. 31, borough police alleged in court records. She has since waived her preliminary hearing before District Judge Gary Whiteman and is free on $5,000 bail.
In another case, Amber Lynn Halderman, 38, of Mill Hall, has been charged by city police with two misdemeanor counts of shoplifting and one count of receiving stolen property after she was caught stealing $263 worth of merchandise at Wegmans, 201 William St., on Oct 3, it was alleged in court documents. Shortly after her apprehension, it was learned she had stolen $34 of merchandise from Fine Wine and Good Spirits, 449 Hepburn St., earlier in the same day it was alleged in an affidavit. She has since waived her preliminary hearing before District Judge Aaron Biichle and is free on $10,000 bail.
Six charged with drug offenses in separate cases
Legal troubles continue to mount for three-time convicted felon and Lycoming County Prison inmate Rashaun Fleming, 35, of 507 W. Southern Ave., South Williamsport, after investigators with the county's Narcotics Enforcement Unit (NEU) executed search warrants at his residence and his Toyota Camry, outside his home, on Aug. 23 that netted a half a pound of marijuana, five ounces of methamphetamine and a large amount of suspected drug money, according to an affidavit. Fleming has since waived his preliminary hearing in this case, and remains locked up in lieu of $25,000 bail.
In another case, Clayton L. Merrill, 54, of 331 High St., apartment 2E, has been arrested on charges of allegedly selling crack cocaine at his city home to an informant on three occasions between July 26 and Aug. 10, according to court records filed by the narcotics unit. He has waived his preliminary hearing and is free on $50,000 bail.
In another NEU case, Jennifer Moore, 51, of 1157 Pleasant Valley, Cogan Station, has been charged with two felony counts each of delivery of a controlled substance and illegal use of a cellphone for her alleged involvement in two sales of cocaine to informants at West Fourth and Rose streets, according to court records. One sale was on Jan. 31 and the other was on Feb. 10, investigators said. Following her arraignment Friday before Frey, Moore was released on $25,000 bail.
In another case, Nykeana Hutchinson, 44, of 608 McMinn Ave., faces identical charges for allegedly selling methamphetamine to informants on Aug. 18 at Four Mile Drive and Valley Heights Drive and again on Sept. 12 at Hutchinson's home, according to NEU investigators. She has waived her hearing and is free on $25,000 bail,.
In another NEU case, Tasha Lyn Steinbacher, 37, of 501 Washington St., Montoursville, has been charged with possession of a controlled substance for having 1.15 grams of crack cocaine on Old Montoursville Road in Loyalsock Township on June 5. She has waived her preliminary hearing before Whiteman and is free on $5,000 bail.
In another case, the NEU has charged Adam William Hill, 45, of 123 W. Second Ave., South Williamsport, with possession of a controlled substance (crack cocaine) on Matthews Boulevard in the borough on July 31, according to court records. He has waived his preliminary hearing and is free on $5,000 bail.
Homeless man jailed on resisting arrest charge
Harry Thomas Bell, a 41-year-old homeless man, was jailed on charges of defiant trespassing, resisting arrest and possession of drug paraphernalia following an incident at the Timberland Apartments on West Edwin Street about 3 p.m. on Oct. 10, city police said in court documents filed at Frey's paper.
Because of previous issues at the apartment complex, Bell is barred from being there, police said. As he was being taken into custody, "attempted to donkey kick" an officer, police alleged.
Following a preliminary hearing, he was held for court on all the charges and released on bail.