Trending
Old Lycoming Township man allegedly assaulted state trooper
Zarin Allen Hornberger, 27, of 1924 Sweeley Ave., has been jailed on assault charges after "kicking a state trooper in the chest several times while being taken into custody" on another matter at Park Avenue and Campbell Street in the city about 6:10 p.m. on Dec. 3, it was alleged in an affidavit. Driving a 2006 Hyundai Elantra, Hornberger was stopped by police and detained on a warrant issued by Lycoming County Crises. After he got out of the car, Hornberger "became combative," refusing all commands issued by the troopers, who had to take him to the ground and then forcibly placed into the back of a second police cruiser that was brought to the scene, the court document stated. Once in the cruiser, Hornberger allegedly damaged the interior of the vehicle, police said.
Arraigned Tuesday before District Judge Kirten Gardner on charges of aggravated assault, resisting arrest and criminal mischief, Hornberger was released on $50,000 bail.
Paid contractor allegedly failed to do repairs to property
Billy Jay Fischer, 46, of Milton, has been arraigned on felony charges of theft by deception and deceptive business practices for failing to make necessary repairs to 1663 Memorial Ave. after receiving an estimated $41,721 from the owner of the building, Brian Regan, to do the work, city police alleged in court documents. The work was to be done between April 2021 and May 2022, police said. Regan filed a theft report a year later, last May, when still no work had been done, police said. Following his recent assignment before District Judge Aaron Biichle, Fischer was released on $30,000 bail.
Three charged in separate domestic disturbances
In recent weeks, Matthew Gribbin's behavior had become more aggressive and the 47-year-old man had been "drinking heavily" during that time, according to city police, who were dispatched to his home at 1416 Bloomingrove Road about 11:30 p.m. Tuesday to handle a disturbance in which both Gribbin's girlfriend and his son were victims of his constant screaming, court records stated. After hearing Gribbin yelling for nearly 90 minutes, a neighbor called 911, police said.
In order to get away from him, the girlfriend and son "went outside to make a bed in her vehicle so they could sleep peacefully," but Gribbin "followed them, screaming that he was going to kill them," it was alleged in an affidavit. As the situation escalated, Gribbin "rushed" after his girlfriend, but the son "intervened and used pepper spray to make Gribbin stop," police were told. Arrested at the scene, Gribbin was arraigned before Gardner on charges of terroristic threats, simple assault and disorderly conduct, and committed to the Lycoming County Prison in lieu of $25,000 bail.
In another case, James Clayton Copson, 48, 1556 Hensler Road, Jersey Shore, has been jailed on charges following a disturbance at his parents' neighboring home, also on Hensler Road in Mifflin Township, about 4 p.m. Dec. 16, according to state police. While standing outside the house, Copson, wielding an ax, threatened to kill a male if he did not come out of the house, police alleged in an affidavit. The male's identity and his relationship to Copson were not provided in court papers. Police alleged Copson entered the home and fled with a bag of tools. Copson was arraigned hours later before District Judge Christian Frey on charges of terroristic threats, simple assault, theft and harassment, and committed to the Lycoming County Prison in lieu of $25,000 bail.
In another case, Tyrone Anthony Frazier, 33, of 2524 W. Fourth St., has been charged with simple assault and harassment for slapping a woman in the face inside his Newberry home
about 5:15 p.m. on Dec. 10 during an argument over a cellphone, it was alleged in a city police affidavit. Arraigned before Gardner, Frazier was released on $25,000 bail.
New York City man denied bail on multiple felony charges
Six felony charges have been lodged against Jose A. Rodriguez, 62, of Bronx, New York, after he stole a total of $20,500 from a Williamsport area man's account at two C&N Bank branch offices, Lycoming Regional police alleged in court papers. After somehow obtaining the victim's personal identification information, Rodriguez used a fraudulent U.S. passport card in the victim's name to first withdraw $8,000 from the man's account at the branch office at 1510 Dewey Ave. in Old Lycoming Township on Dec. 15, police alleged.
The very next day, using the same fake passport card, Rodriguez first went to a branch office on Williamson Trail in Liberty, Tioga County, and withdrew another $8,000 from the man's account, police said. Right after leaving this bank, Rodriguez allegedly returned to the branch office in Old Lycoming Township and illegally withdrew another $4,500 from the account, police said. Arraigned on Monday on three counts of theft by deception and one count each of forgery, receiving stolen property and identity theft, Rodriguez was locked up on no bail. He waived his preliminary hearing on Wednesday.
Convicted felony arrested yet again
Keith M. Peet, 35, of 682 Second Ave., has been jailed on a felony charge of convicted felon not to possess a firearm following an incident outside his home in which he ran from city police after exiting a stolen car in which he was a passenger about 8:20 p.m. on Dec. 3, court papers stated.
Following a brief pursuit, Peet was quickly nabbed by police, and an officer discovered a loaded handgun in some leaves near where Peet was caught, according to an affidavit. In addition to the felony, Peet was arraigned before District Judge Denise Dieter on a misdemeanor charge of evading arrest or detention, and remains jailed in lieu of $15,000 bail. He was held for court following his preliminary hearing on Thursday.
Fugitive taken into custody in Muncy
Fugitive Edith Ortiz-Rojas, 47, of Hazleton, will soon be heading back to Texas to face a felony aggravated assault charge after he was taken into custody by members of the U.S. Marshals Office on a warrant in the 100 block of South Main Street in Muncy late Monday morning. The warrant was filed by authorities in Harris County in the Lone Star State, according to court records. Following his arraignment before Gardner, Ortiz-Rojas was committed to the Lycoming County Prison in lieu of $200,000 bail.
Three charged with theft in separate cases
Brett Kimber Guthrie, who has prior drug and theft arrests, has now been charged with two additional felonies after admitting he allegedly took a man's pickup truck in early October 2022 and drove it to Virginia "to pick up fentanyl pills," according to a South Williamsport police affidavit. Borough police said the 22-year-old Guthrie made the confession on July 10, shortly after he was arrested for stealing a man's car from the 500 block of West Southern Avenue earlier in the day.
In the new case, Guthrie, of 488 Bayard St., South Williamsport, is accused of allegedly stealing Alvin Shaw's truck from the 300 block of Lowe St., police said. Guthrie has since waived his preliminary hearing before District Judge Gary Whiteman and is free on $15,000 bail. Court records provided no information on whether the vehicle was ever recovered, and if so, where.
Concerning another vehicle-theft case, Robert John Watkins, 46, of 647 Wildwood Blvd., has been charged with felony theft and receiving stolen property after he stole a U-Haul box truck from the 1000 block of Vine Avenue on Oct. 16, city police alleged in an affidavit. No information was available on whether the truck was ever recovered. Initially jailed following his arraignment before District Judge Christian Frey in late November, Watkins, who has since waived his preliminary hearing, is free on $5,000 bail. Watkins has also waived his preliminary hearing on a city police charge of felony trespassing for illegally entering a property at 1516 ½ Light St. allegedly on Sept. 8.
In a third theft case, Britney Ann Friend, 36, 815 W. Fourth St., has been charged with theft and receiving stolen property for stealing two delivered packages outside 412 W. Third St. on Monday morning, city police alleged in court papers. Surveillance video recorded Friend carrying the packages from the scene, and photos from the video were instrumental in leading investigators to an apartment building in the 300 block of West Third Street, where Friend was taken into custody the next day. The packages, with a total value of $150, also were recovered, police said. Following her arraignment before Gardner, Friends was released on $10,000 bail.