Police Log: Aug. 2, 2017

By Staff Reports
The Tube City Almanac
August 02, 2017
Posted in: Crime and Police News

• Arrest records published here were provided by the McKeesport Police Department.
• Not all arrest records are published.
• A report of 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.

Charged in Shooting: A McKeesport man is in Allegheny County Jail in connection with what police described as an attempted homicide near the intersection of Brownlee and Craig streets.

Lajuane Pendleton, 18, is being held in lieu of $150,000 cash bond pending formal arraignment Sept. 22 in Allegheny County Court following a preliminary hearing July 24 before Magisterial District Judge Eugene Riazzi.

McKeesport police said that the incident happened on the evening of June 26. Officers were dispatched at 7:23 p.m. for a report of shots fired and met one of the intended victims, who said he and his brother were having an argument with another man.

The man told police that the man began walking away from them, then turned back toward them and opened fire. Both intended victims fled, with one falling down a hill in the mud, according to a police report. One of the men was treated at the scene by McKeesport Ambulance Rescue Service.

The shooter was identified as Pendleton, police said. Police recovered three spent 9-mm shell casings at the scene. McKeesport police arrested Pendleton July 10, court records indicate.

Pendleton is charged by McKeesport police with aggravated assault, attempted homicide, carrying a firearm without a license, unlawful possession of a firearm and recklessly endangering other persons.

Charged in Accident: A McKeesport woman has been charged with driving under the influence of alcohol, careless driving, reckless driving, driving with a suspended license and driving without insurance in connection with a vehicle accident June 22 in Christy Park.

Lacy D. Matthews, 27, faces a preliminary hearing Aug. 21 before Magisterial District Judge Eugene Riazzi.

McKeesport police said the wreck occurred just before 11 a.m. in the 3800 block of Walnut Street. According to a report, a witness said the driver of a gray Toyota Prius traveling north on Walnut suddenly swerved and crashed into a small brick wall in front of a beauty salon. The car came to rest on its side. 

The witness told police the driver got out of the vehicle and walked away toward Peterson Plan.

Police located a woman, identifed as Matthews, on Elizabeth Street a short time later. Matthews was suffering from bruises and abrasions, according to a report, and was taken to UPMC McKeesport hospital for treatment and a blood test, police said.

Pursuit Arrest: A McKeesport man faces a preliminary hearing Aug. 14 on charges that he led city police on a short chase, nearly striking one police officer and driving the wrong way up a one-way street.

Richard A. Coddington, 51, is charged by McKeesport police with recklessly endangering another person, resisting arrest, fleeing or attempting to elude police, reckless driving and numerous traffic violations. Court records indicate he remains free on his own recognizance pending the hearing before Magisterial District Judge Eugene Riazzi.

According to a police report, the incident began just after 8 p.m. July 7, when officers working a drug suppression detail in the 900 block of Fifth Avenue observed what appeared to be a drug transaction take place in a parking lot. The officers followed the vehicle and conducted a traffic stop on Union Street, the report states, but when they approached the vehicle, the driver sped away. Police finally apprehended the driver on Park Street near Versailles Avenue. The driver was identified by police as Coddington.

Charged in Theft: A McKeesport man was charged by city police with theft by unlawful taking and criminal mischief after being accused of stealing a truck bed cover valued at $600. Randy Rosak, 39, faces a preliminary hearing Sept. 11 before Magisterial District Justice Eugene Riazzi. Police said the incident occurred July 4 in lower 10th Ward.

Charged in Theft: A McKeesport man is being held in the Allegheny County Jail in lieu of $5,000 cash bond after city police charged him in connection with a theft in Christy Park. Michael L. Baranchak, 29, is charged with theft by unlawful taking and simple trespass in connection with the June 21 incident. Police said a Ryobi weed trimmer valued at $150 was stolen from the porch of a home. A preliminary hearing is scheduled for Aug. 14 before Magisterial District Judge Eugene Riazzi.

Theft Alleged: A Clairton woman faces a preliminary hearing Aug. 28 before Magisterial District Judge Eugene Riazzi after being accused of bilking a cab driver out of $206.

McKeesport police said Jennifer Bench, 32, is charged with theft by deception in connection with the July 10 incident. Police said that a woman identified as Bench asked a taxi driver to take her to Elmwood, Pa., for an appointment. When they arrived, according to a police report, the woman's appointment wasn't there. The report states the cab driver returned the woman to a residence on Palmgreen Street, but the woman refused to pay the driver.

Originally published August 02, 2017.

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