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South Williamsport man jailed on arson charges following fire in his building
Saleem Abdullah Thomas, 37, of 108 W. Mountain Ave., South Williamsport, has been jailed on charges of arson and related felonies after he allegedly set a fire in his apartment building on Friday night, according to borough police. Besides arson, Thomas has been charged with causing a catastrophe, recklessly endangering, reckless burning, possession of explosive-incendiary material and criminal mischief. It was alleged that Thomas used motor oil as an accelerant to start a fire in the building, police said.
Officers were dispatched to the home about 9:40 p.m. to investigate a disturbance, according to an affidavit. Two people had returned to the property to find "empty oil cans outside the residents," the court document stated. A man, later identified as Thomas, was stopped and detained outside the building, police said, adding that he "smelled of smoke and some type of accelerant. There was also a black, oily residue on his clothing." A room inside the building revealed black soot and smoke damage, the affidavit stated. "There was a trail of oil leading up the steps to the apartment, and oil had been splashed on the wall of the first floor," it was stated in the court document. A state police fire marshal responded to the scene and determined that a fire had been set in the building. There was no mention as to how much damage was caused by the fire. The affidavit did not explain if the fire was in Thomas' apartment or in one rented by another tenant.
At his arraignment before District Judge Aaron Biichle, Thomas refused to answer any questions. He was committed to the county prison in lieu of $95,000 bail.
Alleged drug dealer held for court on all charges
Arriving in a wheelchair for his preliminary hearing Monday before District Judge Gary Whiteman, accused drug dealer Saiheed Markwan Jerkins was held for court on numerous felonies, including three counts of delivery of a controlled substance and one count each of escape and attempting to elude police, all filed by the county's Narcotics Enforcement Unit. It was alleged in court papers that Jerkins, 30, of Philadelphia, sold cocaine to an informant in Loyalsock Township on July 19, Aug. 9 and again Aug. 31. Immediately after the third sale, which occurred in the middle of the afternoon in the 1800 block of East Third Street, uniformed officers in marked cruisers attempted to take Jerkins in custody in his Audi, but he drove around the cruisers and fled down the Golden Strip at a speed "approaching 100 mph," according to an affidavit. "Due to the danger to the public, the pursuit was terminated," the court document stated.
It was believed that Jerkins fled to Philadelphia, where he hid until January when he was taken into custody by members of the U.S. Marshals Service on the charges filed by the narcotics unit. However, in his attempt to flee the marshals, Jerkins jumped from an upper-story window, breaking both his ankles and heels, according to investigators. He still managed to break into another property, where he was quickly nabbed, it was alleged by investigators.
Jerkins was returned here last week and arraigned before District Judge Denise Dieter on the drug and escape charges. He was committed to the Lycoming County Prison in lieu of $600,000 bail. At the conclusion of the hearing, Jerkins' defense attorney asked Whiteman to modify the bail so that her client would be able to take care of his own hygiene. The attorney claimed that since Jerkins was wheelchair-bound, he was not able to take a shower in the jail. Arguing that Jerkins had a history of running from the police and that he showed total disregard for the public's safety as well as his own, Whiteman denied the request and actually changed Dieter's bail amount to no bail.
County prison inmate faces second set of charges
More charges have been lodged against Lycoming County Prison homeless inmate Jesse Greiner, who has been incarcerated since Feb. 25 shortly after he allegedly stole items from a Montoursville Borough police car while it was parked at Kaiser Brothers on Route 405 outside of Muncy, according to court record filed at the office of District Judge Kirsten Gardner.
Court documents reveal that state police have now charged the 34-year-old man with two felony counts each of theft and receiving stolen property for stealing two side-by-side ATVs from Best Line Equipment at 25 Legion Road in Muncy Township, also on Feb. 25, but before his apprehension, it was alleged.
While on one of the stolen ATVs, Greiner, formerly of Scanton, drove through a cornfield, near Griffith Road, police said. Surveillance video taken that Sunday morning at the business shows Greiner stealing one vehicle about 10:30 a.m., taking it on a joyride before returning with it and stealing a second ATV just after noon, police alleged.
Greiner was apprehended about three hours later in the area of Shull and Griffin roads, just west of Kaiser Brothers, on charges of stealing the items from the police cruiser, court records stated. The second ATV was found in the area overturned, police said. In addition to the felonies, Greiner has also been charged with unauthorized use of a motor vehicle, agricultural trespassing and six summary offenses. He has waived his preliminary hearing on all these charges and remains jailed in lieu of $25,000 bail in this case plus the original $25,000 bail that was set in the case involving the items stolen from the cruiser.