Paul Peirce stories, Page 21
Coroner’s office said Hempfield man killed in crash Sunday died of multiple injuries
A 72-year-old driver who was killed Sunday in a wreck near New Stanton died of multiple injuries, according to the Westmoreland County Coroner’s office. The coroner’s office said Ronald C. Ondrejko of Hempfield was pronounced dead at the scene of the 7:54 a.m. Sunday crash along South Center Avenue. Ondrejko...
Penn Township man jailed on $15K bond after 2nd arrest for indecent exposure in as many months
Greensburg police used security video from a East Pittsburgh Street shop and a store discount card to identify a man accused of exposing himself to an area woman and her juvenile daughter, according to court documents. Daniel A. Corall, 46, of Penn Township was arraigned Wednesday on charges of corruption...
Hempfield resident John Ventre announces bid for Pa. governor
Hempfield Republican John Ventre said he’s been stewing for years, believing Gov. Tom Wolf’s “one size fits all and scorched earth policies” hurt state residents. Ventre, 64, announced Wednesday he is running for governor in 2022. Wolf, a Democrat, will leave office in 2023 because of term limits. “You don’t...
Westmoreland County, 8 jail staffers added as defendants in lawsuit over inmate beating
A federal civil lawsuit by a former Westmoreland County Prison inmate who was assaulted by a guard last year claims incident reports filed by a dozen other jail staffers contained no mention of the beating. The lawsuit was amended June 15 and asserts that the omission of the assault of...
State police seeking witnesses to fatal Route 30 crash in Hempfield
State police in Greensburg are seeking information on a multi-vehicle crash Monday along Route 30 in Hempfield that claimed the life of a Fayette County man. The Westmoreland County Coroner’s office reported the driver of one of the vehicles, Michael J. Yatsko, 69, of South Connellsville, died at Excela Health...
Man indicted on drug, firearm counts arrested in North Huntingdon drug sting
A Pittsburgh man indicted earlier this month by a federal grand jury on illegal narcotics and firearm possession charges was jailed without bond in Westmoreland County Tuesday after his arrest in a North Huntingdon undercover drug sting. Hazeon “Ace” Kidd, 20, was arrested by township police on two counts of...
2 seriously injured in Route 30 crash in Hempfield, ambulance officials say
Two people were seriously injured in a multi-vehicle crash Monday that prompted the temporary closure of a portion Route 30 west in Hempfield, according Mutual Aid Ambulance personnel. The collision occurred about 1:50 p.m. at the highway’s intersection with North Greengate Road, a 911 dispatcher reported. The crash closed the...
Grass-cutting dispute led to assault in Hunker, troopers say
A Hunker man is headed to court next week after state police said he assaulted a neighbor with the butt end of a knife during an argument over cutting grass, according to court documents. Troopers last week arrested Ian Christian Cartia, 28, on charges of aggravated assault with a deadly...
Murrysville police accuse Morningside man in Route 22 hit-and-run
Murrysville police obtained an arrest warrant for a Pittsburgh man — also wanted in two neighboring counties — after they say he crashed his car into a dump truck along Route 22 before fleeing the scene, according to court records. John A. Paustenbaugh II, 29, who lives in the Morningside...
Latrobe man accused of assaulting woman, resisting arrest
A 25-year-old man was ordered held in the county prison on $25,000 bond after being accused of fighting with Jeannette police early Thursday. Matthew T. Bard, 25, of Latrobe was arraigned on multiple counts of disorderly conduct, obstruction of justice, reckless endangerment, resisting arrest, simple assault, unlawful restraint, illegal possession...
Troopers say tips from public led to arrest of Scottdale man on animal cruelty charges
State police said a Westmoreland County animal rescue’s social media posts seeking information on the abuse of a stray dog this week helped lead them to a suspect Wednesday. Devin Jacob Eli Rugg, 19, of Scottdale, was arrested on two counts each of aggravated cruelty to animals causing serious bodily...
Troopers accuse Export man of making false report of gas leak
A 21-year-old Export man will be cited for disorderly conduct and related offenses after making a false report to 911 Wednesday that a gas line leak was sending toxic fumes into his residence, according to state police at Kiski. Troopers reported the incident occurred at 2:23 p.m. along the 5700...
Penn Township man accused of assaulting, choking woman during argument
A Penn Township man is charged with assaulting and choking a woman during an argument Sunday. Tyler W. Higgs, 26, was arrested Tuesday after the woman fled his residence along the 7100 block of Mellon Road Sunday morning and telephoned police from a convenience store along Route 22. Higgs is...
Responding to hang-up call, Murrysville police accuse man of assault
Responding to a hang-up call made to 911 late Monday, Murrysville police arrested a Delmont man after he was accused of assaulting a woman and threatening her with a knife, according to court documents. Jeffrey M. McClure, 38, was arraigned Tuesday on charges of aggravated assault with a deadly weapon,...
Rostraver police arrest man and woman after argument involving loaded handgun
Two people were arrested on multiple criminal charges by Rostraver police after a verbal altercation that involved a handgun at a man’s mobile home late Monday, according to court documents. Corey A. Lindauer, 35, of Rostraver was arrested on charges of child endangerment, reckless endangerment and simple assault in the...
Users give Mammoth Park slides thumbs-up after reopeningVideo
After a 10-month moratorium on rides at the Giant Slide complex in Mammoth Park, it took teenager Mary Janetka only about 10 minutes Tuesday to give the slightly recontoured, re-signed and reopened slide facility her seal of approval. “Oh yeah, it’s fun!” said Janetka, 15, who was accompanied in the...
$3M Pennsylvania Lottery scratch-off ticket winner is furloughed Indiana County steelworkerVideo
Two weeks after winning $3 million on a scratch-off Pennsylvania Lottery ticket at a Giant Eagle in Ligonier, Randy Lytle, a furloughed steelworker, still can’t believe his lottery luck. Lytle, 30, of Robinson, Indiana County, won the top prize on a Monopoly 100X scratch-off May 31. He said Monday during...
Search of car stopped in Jeannette leads to additional drug charges
A man arrested in Jeannette last month after police seized 40 stamp bags of heroin stuffed in his underwear is facing additional charges after police say they found two more bricks of heroin in the car he was riding in, according to court papers. Nicholas J. Travis, 36, of Indiana,...
Troopers charge Allegheny County pair after $1 million cocaine, heroin bust in New Stanton
Something seemed suspicious as a special Pennsylvania State Police drug unit on Thursday watched a woman tuck a red suitcase into the trunk of a waiting white Chevrolet Malibu moments after it arrived outside a New Stanton motel. Troopers had the property under routine surveillance as the car pulled away...
Westmoreland jail inmate charged with assaulting guard
A Baltimore man in the Westmoreland County Prison awaiting trial on allegations that he was involved in transporting synthetic marijuana through the county in 2019 is now charged with assaulting a prison guard. Jamal Mohammed Alzanam, 32, is charged by county detectives with aggravated assault on a prison guard and...
North Huntingdon man accused in double murder ordered to stand trial for allegedly shooting at 3 homes
Tensions were high and tempers flared in the courtroom Wednesday as accused killer Victor Steban of North Huntingdon was ordered to stand trial on charges that he shot at three occupied homes as part of what investigators say was a retaliation crime spree culminating in a double murder last month....
Greensburg police accuse man of using slur, starting street brawl
A slur demeaning mentally challenged persons allegedly shouted inside a downtown Greensburg bar early Wednesday triggered a street fight among 20 people, sent a woman to the hospital and led to the arrest of a Scottdale man, city police said. Tyler J. Griffiths, 24, was being held in the county...
Scratch-off ticket worth $3 million sold in Ligonier
A scratch-off ticket worth $3 million was sold to a 30-year-old Indiana County man at the Giant Eagle in Ligonier, the Pennsylvania Lottery announced Tuesday. The ticket sold was a MONOPOLY 100X scratch-off, the lottery said. The store at 117 South Walnut St. will receive a $10,000 bonus for selling...
North Huntingdon police say man sold informant 5 bricks of heroin in drug sting
North Huntingdon police said they used a confidential informant Sunday to set up a heroin purchase from a Pittsburgh man in the parking lot of a Route 30 motel, according to court documents. Jakarr “Fatz” Jenkins, 25, of Pittsburgh’s Larimer section, was arrested on two counts of manufacture, delivery and...
Police accuse Irwin florist of hiding camera in arrangement to take nude photos of woman
Police charged a 57-year-old Irwin florist with possessing obscene materials, saying he hid a video recording device in a floral arrangement he placed in a woman’s bedroom and downloaded nude images of her to his computer, according to court papers. North Huntingdon police also charged Eric J. Belak, a township...
