Police Log: Three Charged After Custody Dispute

By Staff Reports
The Tube City Almanac
July 22, 2020
Posted in: Crime and Police News

• Arrest records published here were provided by the McKeesport Police Department.
• Not all arrest records are published.
• An arrest does not mean the person identified has been convicted of a crime.
• All people arrested are innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.

Child Custody Dispute: A Pittsburgh man remains in Allegheny County Jail in connection with a shooting that stemmed from a child custody dispute.

Two other people also are charged in the June 23 incident.

McKeesport police said officers were dispatched just after 2 p.m. to the Harrison Village housing complex for a report of a shooting. According to a report, police arrived to find a victim bleeding from a wound to the right side of his neck. He was taken by McKeesport Ambulance Rescue Service to UPMC Mercy Hospital, Pittsburgh’s Uptown.

Police said the incident stemmed from an argument between the victim and the mother of his two children, ages 2 and 4. According to a report, the victim suspected the children were being abused and refused to release them to their mother.

Police said the mother and two other men then forced open the door of the victim’s apartment, assaulting the victim, and forcibly removing the children. The three then fled but were arrested a short time later.

John Hopper, 19, of Bellevue is charged by McKeesport police with aggravated assault, criminal conspiracy and recklessly endangering another person. He is currently free in lieu of $25,000 bond.

Linear Riley, 27, of Pittsburgh is charged by McKeesport police with recklessly endangering another person and criminal conspiracy. He is currently being held in the Allegheny County Jail after a request for bail was denied.

The children’s mother, 24, of Wilkinsburg, is charged with recklessly endangering another person, criminal conspiracy and criminal mischief. She is free on her own recognizance. Tube City Almanac does not identify suspects in child abuse cases if doing so would identify their minor children.

A preliminary hearing is scheduled for July 27 before Magisterial District Judge Eugene Riazzi.

Drug Charges: A Pittsburgh woman is awaiting a preliminary hearing after McKeesport police said they recovered 50 packets of suspected heroin mixed with fentanyl from her car during a traffic stop on Lysle Boulevard.

Alyssa Schneider, 29, is charged by McKeesport police with possession of controlled substances, possession of drug paraphernalia, driving with a suspended license and failure to use turn signals.

Police said that an officer was on routine patrol on the morning of June 15 when he observed a car driven by Schneider turn from Sixth Avenue onto Market Street without using turn signals. According to a police report, the officer checked the car’s license plate and determined that the owner, identified as Schneider, had a suspended license.

Charged in Crash: A Tennessee man was charged by McKeesport police in connection with a June 9 accident on Craig Street.

Gary Honick Jr., 34, of Old Hickory is free on $2,500 bond pending a preliminary hearing Aug. 17 before Magisterial District Judge Eugene Riazzi.

McKeesport police said a black Jeep truck struck another car near the intersection of Craig and Versailles Avenue, then fled the scene. Police said a vehicle matching that description was stopped on Union Avenue a short time later and the driver, identified as Honick, was arrested.

Honick is charged by McKeesport police with driving under the influence of alcohol or controlled substances, careless driving, leaving the scene of an accident, failure to notify police of an accident and a moving violation.

Drug Charges: Two men from Saltsburg face charges in connection with an incident on the evening of June 6 in Renziehausen Park.

Joseph Libengood, 25, and David Ritenour, 36, are each charged by McKeesport police with possession of a controlled substance and possession of drug paraphernalia. Ritenour is also charged with driving with a suspended license.

McKeesport police said an officer on routine patrol discovered two men in a parking lot attempting to inject themselves with suspected heroin.

Police said officers recovered 46 “stamp bags” of suspected heroin from the floor of Ritenour’s car, and another 60 stamp bags from Libengood’s pockets, as well as five syringes.

A preliminary hearing is scheduled for Aug. 24 before Magisterial District Judge Eugene Riazzi.

Drug Charges: Clark C. Campbell III, 36, of Houston, Washington County, was charged by McKeesport police with driving under the influence of alcohol or controlled substances, possession of controlled substances, possession of drug paraphernalia and traffic violations following a traffic stop near the corner of Ohio and Versailles avenues at 6:28 p.m. June 2. A preliminary hearing is scheduled for Oct. 5 before Magisterial District Judge Eugene Riazzi.

William Rue, 65, of McKeesport was charged by McKeesport police with possession of controlled substances and public intoxication following an incident on the afternoon of June 18 at a business on Sixth Avenue. A preliminary hearing is scheduled for July 27 before Magisterial District Judge Eugene Riazzi.

Elijah M. Hampton, 27, of Pleasant Hills was charged by McKeesport police with possession of controlled substances, driving with a suspended license and running a red light following a traffic stop on the evening of June 18. A preliminary hearing is scheduled for Aug. 31 before Magisterial District Judge Eugene Riazzi.

Christopher Fisher, 30, of McKeesport was charged by McKeesport police with possession of controlled substances and possession of drug paraphernalia following an incident on June 27. A preliminary hearing is scheduled for Aug. 17 before Magisterial District Judge Eugene Riazzi.

Jessica A. Frederick, 33, of Munhall was charged by McKeesport police with driving under the influence of alcohol of controlled substances, possession of controlled substances, possession of drug paraphernalia, careless driving, reckless driving and recklessly endangering other persons in connection with an incident May 26. A preliminary hearing is scheduled for Aug. 24 before Magisterial District Judge Eugene Riazzi.

Firearms Charges: Steven D. Burrow, 29, of McKeesport is charged by McKeesport police with unlawful possession of a firearm, carrying a firearm without a license and receiving stolen property in connection with an incident June 29 in the 3100 block of Walnut Street. A preliminary hearing is scheduled for Aug. 10 before Magisterial District Judge Eugene Riazzi.

Originally published July 22, 2020.

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