Paul Peirce stories, Page 46
Forest County man accused of sending pornographic images to Derry Township teen
A man is charged with sending pornographic images of himself to a 15-year-old Derry Township girl he met on social media. Shawn M. Negley Jr., 18, of Marienville, Forest County, was arraigned before District Judge Mark Bilik Wednesday on charges filed by state police in Greensburg of child pornography, corruption...
Monessen man accused in rape of girl ordered held in county prison on $50K bond
A 23-year-old Monessen man was arrested this week on charges of raping a girl after she was treated and interviewed at UPMC Children’s Hospital of Pittsburgh following the alleged assault. Quentin T. Simpson was arraigned before night court District Judge Michael Mahady on charges of rape, aggravated indecent assault, corruption...
Cops: Armstrong County man jailed after 35-mile chase
An Armstrong County man is in jail after allegedly leading state police on a 35-mile chase from rural Indiana County into Clearfield County early Sunday. Keith William Habel, 40, of Ford City is charged with fleeing and eluding police, driving under the influence of alcohol, reckless endangering and driving on...
North Huntingdon Police seeking help on alleged luring incident
North Huntingdon Police are investigating a reported luring attempt of a 14-year-old boy in the township’s Hahntown section last week. Police disclosed in a Nixle report on Tuesday that the incident occurred along Entry Road about 2:30 p.m. Friday. In a separate alert, the school district said on its website...
Cops: Amber Alert for missing Connellsville teen stemmed from fatal shooting
An Amber Alert was issued Tuesday for a teenager after a 52-year-old city man was found shot to death, Connellsville police said. State police in Uniontown activated the child abduction alert at 9:50 a.m. for Damion Mickey, 16, who was last seen between 2 and 3 a.m. Police were dispatched...
Mt. Pleasant High School students win statewide award for suicide prevention videoVideo
Still grieving over the suicide death of a friend and classmate last year, three Mt. Pleasant Area High School students jumped at the chance to help promote suicide awareness and prevention. Senior Jillian Gearhart and sophomores Ashlynn Scherer and Bryce Jaworkski were told during a school assembly for the Council...
Cops: Youngwood woman charged with child endangerment after 2 incidents
A 40-year-old Youngwood woman was cited for child endangerment, public drunkenness and disorderly conduct after state police made welfare checks twice in three weeks and reported her apartment being “in deplorable condition.” Trooper Nicholas Parker filed the complaint against Mandy M. Kinnaird after troopers were called to the home twice...
Troopers asking for information on meth lab operation in Indiana County
State police are asking for the public’s help in identifying suspects connected to a methamphetamine manufacturing dump site discovered in a rural eastern Indiana County. Troopers called the agency’s Clandestine Laboratory Response Team to a wooded area in Buffington Township near Vintondale at 4 p.m. Sunday after finding suspicious materials,...
Cops: Arrested for stealing truck, Greensburg man swiped inmate’s phone at police station
Police said a Greensburg man they arrested on charges of stealing a pickup truck at a Sheetz convenience store didn’t wait long before allegedly committing another theft. As Adam E. Lilliock, 39, was being processed at the police station for the truck incident on Feb. 9, Greensburg police said he...
Uniontown lawyer accused of orchestrating scheme to ‘clean’ drug money, for a fee
A tip to an FBI hotline launched an eight-month investigation by the state police organized crime unit that ended this week with a Uniontown lawyer being accused of offering to launder drug money for clients. Authorities on Thursday arrested Tancredi Calabrese, 32, who is charged with dealing in the proceeds...
Newly elected Monessen district judge trying to pass test in order to take office
Although Monessen voters elected a new district judge in November, it could be at least March — or longer — before he is finally sworn in. Wayne P. Vlasic, 63, the city controller, confirmed he still needs certification from the state minor judiciary board to begin serving as district judge....
Woman accused of selling heroin, cocaine out of New Stanton apartment
Complaints from neighbors about persistent foot traffic to and from a New Stanton apartment resulted in the arrest Wednesday of a 22-year-old woman on drugcharges, state police said. Olivia J. Vandyke of Jeannette was arraigned before East Huntingdon District Judge Charles Moore on charges of manufacturing, delivery and possession of...
Police seek suspect who shot, killed 2 cows on Somerset County farm
State police are asking the public’s help identifying the person who shot and killed two Hereford cows on a Somerset County farm between Friday and Saturday. Trooper Eric Bowser of the Somerset station said Wednesday the cows were shot with a rifle sometime between 6 p.m. Friday and 6:30 a.m....
Cops: Sutersville man jailed on $500K bond for rape, sexual abuse
A 41-year-old Sutersville man was arrested Monday by state police on charges of allegedly raping a 12-year-old and sexually assaulting a 9-year-old. Ronald E. Styche III was arraigned before Rostraver District Judge Charles Christner on charges of rape, aggravated indecent assault, indecent assault and statutory sexual assault. Christner ordered Styche...
Cops: Man who ran from Penn Township police had heroin, marijuana
Penn Township Police say the man they chased along Route 130 early Tuesday was holding more than 120 stamp bags of heroin and told officers he won $1,254 cash “playing Russian roulette.” Police didn’t buy the story and charged with Larry T. Richardson, 24, of Pittsburgh, with manufacturing, delivery and...
Postal service: Some locations will be open Presidents Day
Although there is no mail delivery on Monday in observance of Presidents Day, 15 post offices in the region will be open that day for retail transactions. Allegheny County • Coraopolis, 1140 Thorn Run Road from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. • McKnight at 4981 McKnight Road from 11 a.m....
Donegal Lake refilling, set to reopen to trout anglers in AprilVideo
Jeff Shaffer, a longtime Donegal Township taxidermist, has missed the sight of Donegal Lake when looking out his front window the past three-plus years. “I really have missed seeing the water, but it won’t be too long now that it will be back,” Shaffer said, discussing the Pennsylvania Fish and...
Cash 5 lottery ticket worth $250K sold in Scottdale
A Cash 5 lottery ticket player in Scottdale will split a $500,000 jackpot with another lottery player in Lackawanna County, state lottery officials announced. On Sunday, one of the two winning tickets was sold at the Roadrunner gas station-convenience store at 253 N. Broadway and is worth $250,000, the lottery...
Police say Washington Township man had heroin, cocaine, gun in home with children
A Washington Township man is accused of having more than a brick of heroin, eight grams of cocaine and a handgun in a house where three young children live. Keith B. Banichar, 29, was arraigned Thursday on multiple drug delivery and possession charges and three counts of child endangerment and...
3 men indicted in fraudulent tax collection scheme
Three men were indicted by a federal grand jury in Pittsburgh for wire fraud in connection with a bogus tax-collection scheme, according to U.S. Attorney Scott Brady. Michael Galanis, 31, of Export; Ronnell Taylor Jr., 37, of Jeannette; and Barry Nealer, 40, of Pittsburgh are the defendants in a one-count...
Cops: Penn Hills woman stopped on turnpike carrying 550 bricks of heroin
State police stopped a Penn Hills woman on Wednesday for driving erratically on the Pennsylvania Turnpike in Westmoreland County. Soon, troopers reported that they discovered she was transporting a stash of heroin with a street value of more than $500,000. Sarena V. Howard, 34, was pulled over around 1:30 p.m....
Cops: New York man was using stolen identification from second area man
A suspect accused of stealing a man’s identity to buy $4,000 worth of computers, gift cards and video games was arraigned Wednesday for a similar crime. Vaughn L. Lawhorn, 46, of Brooklyn, N.Y., is charged with four counts of access device fraud and theft and two counts of identity theft...
Cops: Almost $27K in silver bars and jewelry stolen from North Huntingdon home
A McKeesport man is accused of breaking into a relative’s home in North Huntingdon several times since 2018 and stealing a dozen 100-ounce silver bars stored in a bedroom closet, and $5,000 worth of jewelry. Cody J. Killcrece, 25, was arraigned before District Judge Wayne Gongaware Jan. 28 on charges...
Penn Township man ordered to stand trial on charges of stalking ex-girlfriendVideo
A North Huntingdon woman testified Wednesday that for four months after she ended a relationship with a boyfriend last year, he harassed and threatened her with repeated telephone and text messages and showed up at her home at all hours. The victim told District Judge Wayne Gongaware at a preliminary...
Inmate fight locks down state prison in Somerset; Fayette prison death being investigated as suicide
A portion of the state prison in Somerset County was placed on lockdown Tuesday after an inmate was injured in a fight, an official at SCI Somerset said. The injured inmate was transported to an undisclosed hospital for evaluation after the 11:30 a.m. altercation involving two inmates, according to prison...

