Paul Peirce stories, Page 40
Murrysville man accused of possessing child porn
A 45-year-old Murrysville man is accused by state police of downloading dozens of images of child pornography to his home computer. Daniel E. Bozym Jr. is charged with 28 counts of possession of child pornography and single counts of possessing photographs of a child performing a sex act and criminal...
Diver: Grass at bottom of Unity lake possibly contributed to drowning
Divers involved in a 9-hour search for a Unity man, who drowned while swimming late Saturday in a private lake near Pleasant Unity, say grass growing on the lake bottom may have contributed to his death. “I know at one point one of the boat rescue teams assisting divers at...
Hempfield firefighters free man’s leg pinned by concrete slab, dispatchers say
Hempfield firefighters responded Monday to rescue a man whose leg was pinned by a concrete slab, according to Westmoreland County 911 dispatchers. The incident occurred at 11 a.m. at a residence in the 1900 block of Clawson Avenue, the dispatcher said. Firefighters from Midway-St. Clair were called to free the...
Man accused of leading troopers on 100 mph chase in Hempfield, Unity
A Ligonier Township man is accused of leading state troopers on a chase exceeding 100 mph for several miles along Route 30 in Hempfield and Unity and intentionally crashing into three state police patrol cars. Robbie T. Saunders, 56, is charged with attempted homicide of a police officer and aggravated...
FBI announces $2,500 reward in Pittsburgh war memorial vandalism case
The FBI has announced a $2,500 reward for information leading to the arrest and conviction of the person responsible for defacing the landmark World War I veterans monument in Lawrenceville on Memorial Day. The FBI office in Pittsburgh and city police are asking the public’s help in the investigation into...
Cops: Southwest Greensburg man accused in stabbing
A Southwest Greensburg man was arraigned this week on charges of aggravated and simple assault for allegedly stabbing a man earlier this year. Jason M. Walters, 37, spent Thursday night in the county prison, but was released Friday after posting $100,000 obtained from a bail bondsman. Police were called to...
Virginia State Police pursuing leads in killing of Herminie man
Virginia State Police are pursuing multiple leads in the weekend stabbing death of a Westmoreland County man whose body was found in a rural ditch near an I-77 exit ramp, authorities said Thursday. “We’ve received a number of telephone tips we’re still continuing to follow up on,” said First Sgt....
Hempfield man dies of injuries suffered in apartment fire
A Hempfield man died this week from burns suffered in a fire inside his apartment, state police said. Michael J. Serafin, 66, died Tuesday in UPMC Mercy Hospital, where he was flown after the blaze around 3:30 p.m. Sunday, said fire marshal Trooper Keith J. Sobecki. Serafin lived alone in...
Cops: No human remains found during Unity search, but items sent to lab for forensic tests
No human remains were found on a Unity property during a two-day search connected to the 2018 disappearance of Cassandra Gross, state police said Thursday. “Several items of interest,” however, were recovered, state police spokesman Trooper Stephen Limani said. “Those items will be forwarded to the forensic laboratory (in Hempfield)...
Flights from Arnold Palmer airport to Fort Lauderdale, Myrtle Beach resume June 25
Commercial flights from Arnold Palmer Regional Airport to Fort Lauderdale, Fla., and Myrtle Beach, S.C., are slated to resume next month, according to officials at the Unity airport. “We’re really excited about this. Spirit told us (Thursday) they will be going back to a full schedule to Fort Lauderdale and...
Herminie man charged with gas station robbery
A 20-year-old Herminie man was arraigned Thursday on multiple charges of robbing a gas station-convenience store in Sewickley Township where he used to work. Timothy J. Mozgawa fled with about $500 from the Sunoco station at 3331 Clay Pike St. at about 10 p.m. Wednesday, state police Trooper Shane McClelland...
Family escapes fire in Mt. Pleasant Township, home a total lossVideo
High winds fueled a fire early Thursday that leveled a Mt. Pleasant Township house owned by an area dentist, firefighters said. “The call came in as a deck fire, but when we got here it had already gotten into the walls and up to the roof. The wind was blowing...
Memorial Day services in Baggaley and Youngstown canceled
Due to the coronavirus pandemic, the Youngstown Volunteer Fire Department announced this year’s Memorial Day services for Baggaley in Unity and Youngstown have been cancelled. Firefighter Anthony Matusky said the department opted to cancel the traditional services “due to concerns for the safety of our members and the community.” Matusky...
Police search Unity property in Cassandra Gross disappearanceVideo
State police investigators equipped with an excavator, searched a Unity township property Wednesday possibly connected to the 2018 disappearance of Cassandra Gross. Just after 8 a.m., multiple marked and unmarked police cruisers drove down White Fence Lane, adjacent to Unity Cemetery, to serve a search warrant on Almira F. Stanko....
Westmoreland County Prison guard charged with assaulting inmate
The alleged assault on an inmate at the Westmoreland County Prison at the hands of a guard last month was reported by Manor Police, who had just delivered the handcuffed prisoner to the jail, according to court records. Borough officers told county detectives they watched as James Mapp “was repeatedly...
Cops: Man jailed after being cited for drug possession, later breaking into Hempfield car wash
A Philadelphia man found in Westmoreland County passed out inside a vehicle reeking of marijuana and subsequently charged with drug possession over the weekend was arrested about 12 hours later following an alleged burglary at a local business, state police reported. Troopers first encountered Naasir N. Boyd, 19, around 9...
Opening day for ATVs on state trails to be Tuesday, says DCNR
Opening day for all-terrain vehicles to access designated trails in state forests statewide will be Tuesday — four days earlier than usual — the state Department of Conservation and Natural Resources announced Monday. DCNR Secretary Cindy Adams Dunn announced that opening day is occurring four days before the start of...
Kecksburg’s UFO Festival shelved, but firefighters hope ‘Old-Fashioned Day’ is a hit
Summer celebration cancellations have now gone intergalactic, with the annual Kecksburg UFO Festival becoming the latest to shut down because of the coronavirus pandemic. “There was a lot of discussion about it, but there is too much uncertainty right now regarding what is going to be allowed come the end...
Westmoreland County sheriff swears in doctor, pastor as special deputiesVideo
At the outset of the coronavirus pandemic, Westmoreland County Sheriff James Albert said seven of his deputies came into contact with someone who may have had covid-19 and the department was desperate for information on the availability of tests and other support. “We reached out, but couldn’t get answers initially,...
Lane restrictions set on I-70 near turnpike’s New Stanton interchange
Motorists traveling eastbound along Interstate 70 near the Pennsylvania Turnpike’s New Stanton interchange can expect lane restrictions for three nights beginning Monday. Construction crews will evaluate a bridge and complete prep work for an upcoming project at the interchange, PennDOT District 12 officials said. Lane restrictions will occur on the...
Cops: 3-year-old left alone with 2 siblings in Monessen ingests THC-laced food
A Monessen couple was arrested Thursday, charged with three counts of child endangerment and illegal possession of a controlled substance after, police say, a 3-year-old boy left at home with two older siblings was found unresponsive after ingesting THC-laced food. Kirsty M. Thorpe, 30, and Brandon M. Mitchell, 33, were...
$2.5 million Route 30 improvement project near Westmoreland Mall set to begin
A busy, four-mile section of Route 30 in Hempfield will become even more congested Monday night when a $2.5 million improvement project along the highway begins, PennDOT District 12 has announced. Allison Park Contractors of Gibsonia will begin work 8 p.m. Monday on bridge and guiderail improvements on the highway...
Police: NYC men had fentanyl, stolen handgun when stopped on turnpike in Mt. Pleasant Township
Two New York City men were arrested Wednesday on charges of possessing a large amount of fentanyl and a stolen .45-caliber handgun after their car was stopped for speeding on the Pennsylvania Turnpike, state police said. Carlos M. Garcia Evans, 42, and Secundino Mercedes Nunez, 29, both of the Bronx,...
Troopers accuse 4 in $100K ‘Gator’ UTV thefts
The state police auto theft task force used surveillance videos this week to track stolen UTVs for 7 miles — from the lot of a John Deere dealership in Salem to a rural home in Loyalhanna, near Saltsburg. Police said they eventually recovered five recently stolen vehicles, valued at $100,000,...
U.S. Army Corps partially opening Crawford County lake facilities May 22
Some facilities at Woodcock Lake Park in Crawford County will open Memorial Day weekend, but the campground will remain closed for the summer, the Army Corps of Engineers in Pittsburgh said. On March 18, the U.S. Army Corps shut down all facilities at the park, which includes a 333-acre lake...
