Paul Peirce stories, Page 50
Westmoreland County inmate, girlfriend accused in jailhouse drug smuggling scheme
Fearful that guards would find drugs hidden in his mail, a Westmoreland County Prison inmate asked someone in another jail cell to stash a pile of stamped envelopes — only to have that inmate share his secret with authorities, according to new criminal charges against a Greensburg man and his...
Cops: 71-year-old Hempfield man admitted sexually assaulting girl
A 71-year-old Hempfield man was ordered held in the Westmoreland County Prison on $25,000 bond after his arrest by state police for allegedly sexually assaulting a girl on multiple occasions over two years. Frank J. Celesnik was charged with aggravated indecent assault, aggravated assault on a child under 13 years...
Ambulance service closing worries rural Westmoreland County communitiesVideo
A rural ambulance company abruptly closed this week, catching many residents in northeastern Westmoreland County by surprise and leaving some on edge. Connellsville-based Fayette EMS operated the Laurel Valley Ambulance Service station in New Florence since 2007. It closed Monday, with the door now padlocked and posted with “No Trespassing”...
Police seek woman who allegedly stole wallet, bought computer in Hempfield
State police in Greensburg are trying to identify a woman who reportedly stole the wallet out of an elderly woman’s purse, drove to a Hempfield store and used a stolen credit card to buy more than $1,000 worth of computer equipment. A 71-year-old woman was eating at Panera Bread in...
Washington County man dies in apparent ATV crash
A 50-year-old Eighty Four man was discovered dead Thursday, pinned under his all-terrain vehicle on his Washington County farm, according to the county Coroner S. Timothy Warco. Warco’s office reported that Scott Manko had left his home off Route 519 on the ATV about 7:30 p.m. Wednesday, but did not...
4th person charged in shooting death of pit bull mix in North Huntingdon
A fourth person was arrested Wednesday because officials say he fatally shot the dog discovered muzzled and tied to a railroad post this summer in North Huntingdon. John W. Harrold, 50, of North Huntingdon was arraigned before District Judge Wayne Gongaware on animal cruelty and conspiracy charges filed by CSX...
Greensburg police arrest 2 men in woman’s overdose death
Greensburg police arrested two area men Wednesday for allegedly providing a fentanyl-laced heroin dose that killed a 48-year-old woman last summer. Julian V. Cancro, 37, of Greensburg, and Matthew T. Caughey, 46, of Youngwood, were charged with drug delivery resulting in death in connection with the Aug. 30 death of...
Pittsburgh man accused of ethnic intimidation, harassing 2 off-duty EMTs in Murrysville
Two black emergency medical technicians with Murrysville Medic One were first harassed after a farewell party and then nearly driven off the highway by a Pittsburgh man who tailed them in his pickup truck, according to police. Murrysville police on Tuesday charged Michael W. Klaus, 43, of West End, with...
Man accused of exposing himself in busy Hempfield shopping plaza parking lot
A 40-year-old video game enthusiast exposed himself in the parking lot of a busy Hempfield shopping plaza Saturday, state police reported. Gregory M. Galek of Hempfield is charged with indecent exposure and disorderly conduct in connection with the 11:45 a.m. incident in the parking lot of Hempfield Square, according to...
State court rules Indiana County man serving life for murder not entitled to forfeited property
A Saltsburg man serving a life sentence for the brutal 2013 slaying of an Indiana County gun shop owner lost his bid to have $18,733 and other seized assets returned to his family. Jack O. Edmundson Jr., 49, who pleaded guilty to killing Frank S. Petro, 62, of Conemaugh Township...
Cops: Motorists help Murrysville police locate suspected intoxicated driver
Concerned motorists helped direct Murrysville police to an alleged drunken driver who also is accused of possessing a “fist-sized” plastic bag of cocaine and two bags of marijuana. Warren R. Weimer Jr., 37, of Latrobe, was arrested at the Sheetz station on Route 22 at School Road South about 11:45...
Suspects in Ligonier business break-ins arrested on more burglary charges
Eight days after being released for their alleged involvement in a series of break-ins at Ligonier businesses, two men were arrested again Tuesday and accused in another series of burglaries, including one at a church office. On Nov. 18, police arrested Hunter M. Fitchko, 26, at his apartment on the...
Mt. Pleasant Township farm’s desserts popular on many area Thanksgiving tablesVideo
While turkey usually grabs the most attention at the Thanksgiving table, the dessert pie isn’t far behind. For 23 years, pies from Sand Hill Berries farm off Route 819 in Mt. Pleasant Township have been stealing the show. The work for owners Susan and Richard Lynn begins several weeks ahead...
Ohio man accused in bizarre North Huntingdon bank heist attempt headed to trialVideo
The family of an Ohio man arrested in a bizarre Westmoreland County bank robbery scheme involving a mask and claim of bombs at two area high schools said Wednesday they still can’t understand his actions. Luke J. Dell, 35, of Beavercreek, Ohio, made his first court appearance Wednesday since his...
Fayette County woman charged with stealing McDonald’s night bank deposit
State police arrested a Fayette County woman on charges she took a night bank deposit bag containing more than $1,000 from a Westmoreland County McDonald’s restaurant where she used to work, according to court papers. Lisa A. Leasure, 42, of Champion, was charged with receiving stolen property and theft before...
Scottdale man charged with DUI, leading police on chase through Unity
A Scottdale man found himself in the county jail on drunken driving and other charges after state police said they chased his pickup truck through farm fields and along miles of rural roads. The pursuit involving Joseph T. Demase, 37, began around 5 p.m. Monday along Route 981 near the...
Ex-Westmoreland chief deputy sheriff sues county, alleging discrimination
A former Westmoreland County chief deputy sheriff claims in a federal civil lawsuit she was subjected to age and sex discrimination because she was the first woman to hold the supervisory position in a department dominated by men. Patricia Fritz of Mt. Pleasant is seeking unspecified damages in the lawsuit...
State police seek 2 men accused of dragging trooper fleeing traffic stop in Fayette County
A Pennsylvania state trooper was pulled a short distance and fell to the ground in Uniontown early Sunday when two men drove off during a traffic stop. Police have issued arrest warrants for Michael L. Monroe, 24, the alleged driver of the vehicle, and his passenger, Joshua E. Linnen, 24....
Police: Driver jailed after hitting officer with car on Pittsburgh’s Light Up Night
An Erie man was taken to the Allegheny County Jail on aggravated assault charges after being arrested for striking a police officer with his car Friday during Light Up Night in Downtown Pittsburgh. Adam J. Martin, 31, was charged by the sheriff’s department with aggravated assault, aggravated assault by vehicle...
Florida man admits Western Pa. massage parlors fronted prostitution
A Florida man who operated five Asian massage parlors in Western Pennsylvania and others in Florida and Virginia could be sentenced to more than 30 years in prison early next year after pleading guilty to racketeering, money laundering, transporting women for prostitution and harboring illegal aliens for commercial purposes. U.S....
Cops: Derry Township man said burglary was ‘misunderstanding’
State police say a Derry Township man told them it “was a misunderstanding,” when they found him ransacking a Millwood man’s gun cabinet Wednesday. Tylar A. Lyons, 27, of New Derry, told police that a friend asked him to remove the firearms from a relative’s home as a favor, “but...
DNA match leads to child sex assault charges against Greensburg man
A Greensburg man was arrested Thursday on charges of sexually assaulting a 6-year-old girl last spring after a forensic test revealed his DNA was on her clothing, police said. Michael T. Walker, 37, was arraigned on charges of involuntary deviate sexual intercourse, aggravated indecent assault, indecent assault on a person...
Greensburg couple face drug charges after police seize THC cartridges, gummy bears
A Greensburg couple is accused of multiple drug delivery and possession charges after city police seized 577 THC vape cartridges and a container of THC gummy bears that were delivered in two parcels to their home earlier this month. Malachi U. Redhawk, 25, and Ashley M. Martin, 23, were charged...
Gunman, 2 accomplices ordered to stand trial in Export shooting
Most of the participants in a violent confrontation near an Export park during which a Monroeville man was shot twice were on a three-day methamphetamine binge, one of those charged told a judge Tuesday. The alleged gunman, Tyler Palandro, 19, of Murrysville and two accomplices, Sandra Lee Cline, 49, of...
New Kensington cop killer’s cousin charged with stashing murder weapon
Just four days after Rahmael Holt was sentenced to death for the Nov. 17, 2017, killing of New Kensington police Officer Brian Shaw, Westmoreland County detectives charged his cousin, Lisa D. Harrington, with hiding the murder weapon and hindering apprehension. Assistant District Attorney James Lazar said the decision to charge...
