City man jailed
in threat with gun
A Pottsville man was jailed Friday and charged by Pottsville police with threatening another person with a gun.
Police said Donte Brown, 25, was charged with terroristic threats, recklessly endangering another person, simple assault and firearms not to be carried without a license. He was arraigned by on-duty Magisterial District Judge Anthony J. Kilker, Shenandoah, and committed to Schuylkill County Prison unable to post $25,000 straight cash bail, police said.
Police said officers were called at 10:05 a.m. to the 500 block of West Fairview Street to investigate a report of a man with a gun threatening residents.
After getting a detailed description of the person responsible, police said officers found Brown leaving the rear of 523B W. Fairview St.
Brown, who police said matched the description provided, said he went to the area to confront Brandon Starr, 32, of Pottsville. During the incident, police said Brown admitted that he removed a semi-automatic pistol from his waistband, pointed it at Starr and made threatening comments.
Police said the investigation into the incident is continuing.
Man accused in
assault at home
A Pottsville man was jailed after being arrested by Pottsville police and charged with assaulting his girlfriend and their infant child about 2 a.m. Sunday.
Police said a 23-year-old Pottsville woman reported that her boyfriend, Jonathan Pfeil, 30, came to their 536 E. Market St. home intoxicated and started a verbal argument that escalated into a physical altercation.
The woman said that during the physical altercation, Pfeil grabbed her by the neck and choked her two separate times, one time while she was standing holding their 3-month-old son, police said, adding that the woman also reported Pfeil grabbed their son, causing bruising to him.
While speaking with the woman, police said officers observed signs of recent physical injury that included redness, swelling, and bruising around her neck and on the back side of her left shoulder as well as bruising on the right forearm of her son.
With the assistance of Saint Clair police, Pfeil was taken into custody at his place of employment in Saint Clair without incident.
He was charged with two counts of simple assault pertaining to domestic violence and two counts of recklessly endangering another person.
Pfeil was subsequently arraigned by on-call Magisterial District Judge David A. Plachko, Port Carbon, who set bail at 10 percent of $35,000 and remanded the man to Schuylkill County Prison, police said.
Culprit sought in
hit-and-run crash
TREMONT — Police are looking for the driver of a vehicle involved in a hit-and- run accident that occurred in the borough.
State police at Schuylkill Haven said the incident occurred between 10:30 p.m. Friday and 1:30 a.m. Saturday at Route 125 and Union Street as the driver of a dark-green metallic, late 1990s four-door Subaru Legacy, with black door molding, slid into a concrete and block garage owned by Christopher Carl, 41, of East Line Street. The vehicle was heading north on Route 125, police said. The driver fled the scene without providing insurance or other information, police said.
The car has heavy grill, hood, front bumper and driver-side door damage, police said. Anyone with information is asked to call police at 570-739-1330.
Water heater,
copper stolen
SHEPPTON — Police are looking for whoever forced open a garage door and stole a water heater and later copper pipe and tubing in this East Union Township village.
State police at Frackville said the burglary occurred on West Pine Street between Jan. 28 and 29. After forcing open the garage door, the person or persons took the water heater. They also forced open a back door to the residence and stole copper pipe and PEX tubing, police said.
Anyone with information is asked to call police at 570-874-5300.
Hegins man faces
charges in stop
WILLIAMSTOWN — A Hegins man faces driving under the influence and other traffic violations stemming from a traffic stop in Williams Township, Dauphin County, in December.
State police at Lykens said this week that Preston Francis Gununis, 31, was stopped at 1 a.m. Dec. 20 on Route 209 and Armory Road for a traffic violation and was found to be DUI, police said.
Charges were filed in the office of Magisterial District Judge Rebecca J. Margerum, Elizabethville, police said.
Door broken
at business
ELIZABETHVILLE — Someone broke a sliding glass door at a business in this Dauphin County borough in December, police said.
State police at Lykens said the incident occurred between midnight and 1 a.m. Dec. 22 at Warrior Run Development Corp. at Greenfield Estates.
Anyone with information is asked to call police at 717-362-8700.
Vanity plate
stolen from car
LYKENS — Someone stole a vanity license plate from a vehicle owned by borough woman, police said.
State police at Lykens said Joan Orowski, 80, of Main Street, reported that a Notre Dame Alumni Association plate was stolen from her vehicle sometime Jan. 18 and 19. It has the numbers 01001ND.
Anyone with information is asked to call police at 717-362-8700.
Drivers not hurt
in Frackville crash
FRACKVILLE — Borough police investigated a crash that occurred about 2 p.m. Friday in the 300 block of South Lehigh Avenue.
Police said Michael Jacavage, 43, of 601 W. Coal St., Shenandoah, was stopped in traffic when his 2013 Kia Sportage was struck from behind by a 1999 Subaru Legacy driven by Rebecca Goodman, 21, of 18 Thomaston Road, Pottsville.
Police said Goodman reported that she thought she may have hit the gas instead of the brake just prior to the crash.
Neither driver was injured, and police said Goodman will be cited for careless driving as a result of the crash.
Car parked in lot
struck, damaged
FRACKVILLE — A hit-and-run crash that occurred in the parking lot of Rite Aid on South Lehigh Avenue on Wednesday is under investigating by borough police.
Police said they received a call at 4:40 p.m. from Lynn Morgan who said her 2014 Ford Escape was damaged. The woman said she parked the vehicle on the lot when she arrived for work about 8 a.m. and discovered the damage after her shift ended.
Police said their investigation determined that the striking vehicle was either entering or exiting a parking space next to the Morgan vehicle when the damage occurred.
Morgan’s SUV sustained damage to the driver’s side front bumper and fender and the striking vehicle should have damage to the left front headlight assembly.
Anyone with information is asked to call police through the Schuylkill County Communications Center by calling 570-462-1991.
Lykens residents
report robbery
LYKENS — A burglary that occurred about 11:30 a.m. Jan. 12 at 570 N. Second St. is being investigated by state police at Lykens.
Police said someone entered the home of Kendall Grant Walizer and Brenda Ann Lachat by breaking through a second-floor window and stole three handguns, miscellaneous jewelry, cash and a boom speaker before fleeing.
Anyone with information is asked to call police at 717-362-8700.
Shenandoah man
injured in crash
HAZLETON — A two-vehicle crash sent a Shenandoah man to Hazleton General Medical Center at 3 p.m. Thursday on Green Mountain Road, 1345 feet south of Oakridge Road, Hazel Township, Luzerne County.
State police at Frackville said Christopher M. Veach, 32, of Shenandoah, was traveling north in a 2002 Chevrolet Cavalier from the private property exit ramp from Michael’s Distribution Center and intended on turning left onto Green Mountain Road. Police said Veach failed to stop the vehicle before exiting the ramp and drove directly into the path of Vicente Santos Alvarez, 27, of Hazleton, who was traveling west on Green Mountain Road.
Santos Alvarez applied the breaks and the vehicle slid forward into the Chevrolet, police said. After impact, the Chevrolet spun 180 degrees counterclockwise and slid across both lanes of Green Mountain Road before striking a curb along the eastbound shoulder, police said. The Chevrolet jumped the curb and came to rest on the grassy roadside area facing south.
Veach was extricated from his vehicle by EMS and transported to the Hazleton General Medical Center by APTS Luzerne 11. He was wearing a seat belt and his air bag deployed, police said. Santos Alvarez was also wearing a seat belt and not hurt, police said.
The Chevrolet was severely damaged and was towed from the scene, police said.
Veach was charged with failing to yield to a right-of-way of another vehicle and Santos Alvarez was charged with failing to drive at a safe speed.