Paul Peirce stories, Page 20
State police seeking information on missing Ruffs Dale woman
State police in Belle Vernon are seeking information on a missing 73-year-old East Huntingdon woman who was last seen Tuesday. Trooper Robert Broadwater reported on social media that authorities are seeking Myrna Z. Montalvo, 73, of Ruffs Dale, who relatives say is endangered because she has a medical history of...
15-year-old boy charged as adult in fatal stabbing in Fayette County
A 15-year-old Fayette County boy is charged as an adult in connection with a fatal stabbing Monday in rural Springhill Township. Christopher S. Gaydos Jr. of Smithton was ordered held without bond after his arraignment Tuesday on charges of criminal homicide, aggravated assault and reckless endangerment in Fayette County Tuesday....
Neighbors help troopers locate Hempfield break-in suspect
Residents in the rural Hempfield village of Hannastown helped direct state police to a man accused of forcing his way into a home Tuesday and initially refusing to leave before running away moments before officers arrived. Blake R. Quakenbush, 26, of Latrobe was arrested on charges of burglary, criminal trespass,...
Store security tape, red paint lead troopers to charge woman in Salem hit-and-run
Surveillance tapes from a convenience store and red paint on a car grille helped state police identify a woman they say was involved in a hit-and-run accident last month, according to court documents. Tamara J. Stoken, 46, of Irwin, was charged this week with careless driving, fleeing the scene of...
Latrobe councilman, former firefighter charged with stealing fire department funds
A Latrobe councilman and the patriarch of a city family involved in an ongoing dispute with the local fire department and its chief were arrested Tuesday by Westmoreland County detectives. Councilman Robert S. Forish, 58, and Fabian Giovannagelo, 65, were arraigned on charges of theft, theft by deception and misapplication...
Man clung to hood of car for 5 miles as Scottdale pair sought hospital treatment, police say
A man and woman who say they were assaulted late Sunday in Scottdale drove about 5 miles to a Mt. Pleasant hospital for treatment with their alleged assailant clinging to the hood of the car, according to court papers. Scottdale police arrested Michael J. Overly, 21, of Everson, Fayette County,...
Beaver County man accused of vehicle theft, related charges after breaking into Penn Township home, police say
A Beaver County man is in the Westmoreland County Prison without bond after he was arrested on charges of breaking into a Penn Township home early Friday, according to court documents. Nicholas J. Wooddell, 30, of Aliquippa, was arraigned on charges of burglary, criminal trespass, and driving on a DUI...
Police seeking suspect in ‘quick change’ scam near Donegal
State police are asking the public’s help identifying a man who they say bilked a Donegal Township convenience store out of $150. Troopers said the suspect entered the Coen Market along Route 31 near the Donegal interchange of the turnpike about 5:20 p.m. Saturday and conducted a scam, departing with...
Wrong-way crash on Route 22 in Salem seriously injures 1 person, dispatchers say
At least one person was seriously injured Monday in a wrong-way crash that closed the westbound lanes of Route 22 at the intersection with Route 819 in Salem for two hours, according to a Westmoreland County 911 dispatcher. Multiple fire departments and state troopers were called to the scene near...
Latrobe police say neighbors’ complaints led to drug arrests
Multiple complaints this month over an influx of pedestrian and vehicle traffic at a Latrobe home resulted in the arrests of a couple Thursday by city police on charges of trafficking cocaine and heroin and possession of drug paraphernalia. William E. Schall, 34, and Bobbi Rae Ragazzini, 26, who live...
Former Excela nurse accused of stealing pain pills from patients
A former nurse at Excela Health Westmoreland hospital in Greensburg was arrested this week by the state Attorney General’s office on accusations of stealing prescription painkillers from patients over a five-month period in 2020, according to court papers. Joel M. Gazal, 34, of North Versailles, was arraigned on two counts...
3 children escape Manor house fireVideo
Three children were treated and released from an area hospital after escaping a house fire in Manor Thursday morning, according to a relative. Scott Staudt said a neighbor rescued a 10-year-old boy from the basement of the burning home at 45 Blaine Avenue around 9:45 a.m. A teen boy and...
Man ordered to jail without bond after threatening Greensburg woman, police say
A 26-year-old Jeannette man was ordered held in the county prison without bail after he was arrested by police following a domestic altercation with a woman in a Greensburg apartment, according to court documents. Orlando L. Morgan Jr. was arraigned on multiple criminal charges including simple assault and making terroristic...
Michigan couple arrested in stolen pickup on Pennsylvania Turnpike
A traffic stop along the Pennsylvania Turnpike near New Stanton this week resulted in the arrest of a man wanted for questioning in connection with the theft of two pickup trucks, according to court documents. After troopers stopped Allan J. Brady, 35, of Adrian, Mich., for speeding on the toll...
Route 30 westbound near Ligonier reopens after being shut for downed utility wires
A section of Route 30 westbound outside of Ligonier reopened after 4 p.m. after it closed when a trailer hauling an oversized load pulled down utility wires onto the highway Wednesday morning. Ligonier Valley police reported the incident occurred west of Ligonier in Ligonier Township before noon, according to a...
Driver clung to tree ‘for dear life’ after turnpike crash in Mt. Pleasant Township, fire chief saysVideo
A Butler area man was “holding on for dear life” to tree branches Monday night along the Pennsylvania Turnpike after being ejected from his SUV that launched over a hillside after crashing, Mt. Pleasant fire Chief Jerry Lucia said. “He was about 8 or 9 feet up in the branches...
Pickup driver who was fleeing troopers on turnpike in Donegal injured in crash
A Philadelphia man was airlifted to a hospital with multiple injuries Saturday after crashing his pickup in Donegal as he was being pursued by state troopers along the Pennsylvania Turnpike, according to police reports. Sergio E. Rodriguez-Guzman, 21, was airlifted by medical helicopter to Conemaugh Hospital in Johnstown as a...
Firefighters called to blaze at abandoned home in East Huntingdon
Multiple fire departments were called to the scene of a blaze at an abandoned home outside of Tarrs in East Huntingdon Monday afternoon, according to Westmoreland County dispatchers. The fire was reported before 2:30 p.m. at a vacant home in a remote location off of Johnny Love Road, the dispatcher...
Troopers say fleeing motorcyclist drove 107 mph in Hempfield
State police used security video from a Hempfield casino to catch a motorcyclist who escaped arrest during a brief chase early Saturday that was called off when speeds reached 107 mph, according to court documents. Cameron S. Ulery, 25, of Melcroft, Fayette County, was arrested about 5 a.m. Saturday. It...
Unity man accused of domestic assault, firing at troopers during 7-hour standoff
A Unity man is accused of twice firing a 9 mm handgun during a seven-hour standoff with state troopers after a domestic assault at his home last week, according to court documents. Gregory S. Dorough, 48, was arrested about 5 p.m. Friday inside his residence along Arnold Palmer Drive. He...
Mt. Pleasant teams with Pittsburgh lab in launch of covid-19 community wellness program
When Mt. Pleasant Mayor Jerry Lucia received a call recently from an area native inquiring whether the borough would like to team up with a state-of-the art health care lab as it launches a covid-19 community wellness testing program, he jumped at the chance. SDxLabs, a Pittsburgh-based diagnostics laboratory, will...
Man wanted on multiple warrants arrested in parking lot of Hempfield grocery
A Washington County man wanted on multiple arrest warrants, including charges of assaulting a Hempfield woman June 20, was arrested Thursday by state troopers who spotted him fleeing through a grocery store parking lot, according to court documents. Jack D. Jaffre, 44, who lists his current address as Washington, also...
Closure of Neville Island Bridge on I-79 expected to cause traffic delays this weekend
Motorists who use Interstate 79 to travel north through Allegheny County will have to deal with traffic delays starting Friday and continuing through early Monday. The reason: A $43 million rehabilitation project starts on the Neville Island Bridge. PennDOT District 11 said the northbound lanes of the span will close...
Greensburg’s Greater Parkview Church recognized for community service by YWCA
Despite the Greater Parkview Church being honored as recipient of the YWCA of Westmoreland County’s prestigious President’s Award for its work in the community, the Greensburg church’s pastor, Bishop Carl Jones Sr., maintains “there’s still a lot of work we have to do.” Jones, who has led the diverse, non-denominational...
1 dead, 1 injured in house fire in Etna
A woman died Thursday morning in a house fire in Etna. Etna Volunteer Fire Department Chief Greg Porter said the woman was in her 80s. Porter said her adult son was able to make it out of the duplex and was transported to a hospital for smoke inhalation. Multiple fire...
