Police Log: Jan. 31, 2018

By Staff Reports
The Tube City Almanac
January 31, 2018
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.

Drug Charges: Craig Rhodes-Mitchell, 24, of McKeesport was charged by McKeesport police with possession of a controlled substance following an arrest at 4:18 a.m. Dec. 24 in the 600 block of Lysle Boulevard. A preliminary hearing has been scheduled for Feb. 12 before Magisterial District Judge Eugene Riazzi.

Michael J. Kowal, 38, of McKeesport was charged by McKeesport police possession of a controlled substance, possession of drug paraphernalia and public intoxication following an arrest at 3:34 a.m. Jan. 9 in the 3500 block of Koontz Alley. A preliminary hearing has been scheduled for Feb. 26 before Magisterial District Judge Eugene Riazzi.

Kevin Strickland, 46, of Philadelphia was charged by McKeesport police with possession of a controlled substance, possession of drug paraphernalia and driving without proper registration following a traffic stop at 7:41 p.m. Jan. 11 near the intersection of Grandview Avenue and Grover Street. A preliminary hearing has been scheduled for Feb. 26 before Magisterial District Judge Eugene Riazzi.

Chase Perry, 27, of Pittsburgh's North Side was charged by McKeesport police with possession of a small amount of marijuana and possession of drug paraphernalia after an arrest at 7:10 p.m. Jan. 13 at a business in the 3400 block of Versailles Avenue. A preliminary hearing has been scheduled for March 12 before Magisterial District Judge Eugene Riazzi.

David S. Layman, 48, of Shinnston, W.Va., and Margaux Petras, 40, of Fairmont, W.Va., were charged by McKeesport police with possession of controlled substances and possession of drug paraphernalia following an arrest at 5:44 p.m. Jan. 16 in the parking lot of a business in the 3400 block of Versailles Avenue. Layman is additionally charged with possession with intent to deliver. Police said Layman and Petras were in possession of suspected methamphetamine. A preliminary hearing has been scheduled for March 12 before Magisterial District Judge Eugene Riazzi. Layman and Petras are free on their own recognizance pending the preliminary hearing.

Terrill L. Weatherspoon, 43, of West Mifflin was charged by McKeesport police with possession of a controlled substance, possession with intent to deliver and possession of drug paraphernalia following an arrest at 11:45 p.m. Dec. 27 in the 600 block of Fifth Avenue. A preliminary hearing is scheduled for April 9 before Magisterial District Judge Eugene Riazzi.

Separately, Weatherspoon is charged by Clairton police with aggravated assault, resisting arrest, receiving stolen property, possession of a controlled substance, possession with intent to deliver, possession of a firearm without a license, possession of a loaded weapon, tampering with evidence, and multiple moving violations following an incident Jan. 22 in Clairton. A preliminary hearing is scheduled for April 24 before Magisterial District Judge Armand Martin. Weatherspoon is free on $50,000 bond pending that hearing, court officials said.

Forgery Charges: Raheem Smith, 39, of McKeesport was charged by McKeesport police with forgery and theft by unlawful taking in connection with the March 27 theft of a $370 money order from an office at McKeesport Housing Authority. A preliminary hearing has been scheduled for April 9 before Magisterial District Judge Eugene Riazzi.

Theft Charges: Kevin T. Castle, 42, of McKeesport was charged by McKeesport police with criminal mischief and theft by unlawful taking in connection with the Jan. 11 theft of a purse and damage to a TV set at a residence in the 900 block of Fifth Avenue. A preliminary hearing has been scheduled for March 5 before Magisterial District Judge Eugene Riazzi.

Separately, Castle is charged by Glassport police with aggravated assault, criminal conspiracy, robbery, simple assault, theft by unlawful taking, harassment and disorderly conduct in connection with a Jan. 26 incident in that borough. A preliminary hearing has been scheduled for Feb. 13 before Magisterial District Judge Armand Martin.

Assault Charge: A Butler, Pa., woman faces a preliminary hearing Feb. 26 before Magisterial District Judge Eugene Riazzi after she was accused of knocking down a police officer with the car she was driving. Whitney A. Tucker, 23, is free on her own recognizance pending the hearing, according to court officials.

According to a police report, a woman drove into the parking lot of a store on Versailles Avenue just after 11 p.m. Dec. 20, driving a Nissan SUV that had been reported stolen, and which was wanted in connection with a robbery. A report states that McKeesport police Officer Shawn Morris approached the driver's side of the vehicle and asked the driver to show him her hands. Instead, she reversed the vehicle at a high rate of speed, police said, knocking Morris to the ground.

Police pursued and located the vehicle, abandoned, a short time later on Stewart Street, according to a report. The driver, identified by McKeesport police as Tucker, was arrested Jan. 14 and charged with aggravated assault, receiving stolen property, simple assault and recklessly endangering another person.

DUI Charges: Laura Nickolich, 29, of Clairton was charged by McKeesport police with driving under the influence of alcohol and careless driving after a traffic stop at 9:16 p.m. Dec. 22 near the intersection of Lysle Boulevard and Huey Street. A preliminary hearing is scheduled for Feb. 12 before Magisterial District Judge Eugene Riazzi.

Ashley Greenawald, 28, of McKeesport was charged by McKeesport police with driving under the influence following a traffic stop at 3:35 a.m. Jan. 6 in the 1800 block of Evans Avenue. A preliminary hearing is scheduled for Feb. 26 before Magisterial District Judge Eugene Riazzi.

Michelle V. Lockett, 46, of McKeesport was charged by McKeesport police with driving under the influence and criminal mischief on Jan. 10 following a traffic stop in the 1600 block of Jenny Lind Street. A preliminary hearing is scheduled for March 5 before Magisterial District Judge Eugene Riazzi.

Theft Charges: Cyril Lukas Jr., 66, of McKeesport was charged by McKeesport police with theft by unlawful taking. McKeesport police said that in April 2017, a Utah man purchased a vehicle from a Ford dealer in West Virginia and contracted with Lukas to deliver the car to his home in Salt Lake City. According to a police report, Lukas never delivered the car. Lukas was arrested Jan. 8 and is free on his own recognizance pending a preliminary hearing Feb. 5 before Magisterial District Judge Eugene Riazzi.

Elijah Crane, 19, of McKeesport faces formal arraignment March 5 in Allegheny County Court on charges of  theft by unlawful taking, receiving stolen property and criminal conspiracy in connection with the Nov. 11 theft of a vehicle from a business on Versailles Avenue. Police said the vehicle had been left running, unattended, in the parking lot. Crane was arrested Jan. 9. He waived his right to a preliminary hearing Jan. 29 before Magisterial District Judge Eugene Riazzi and is currently free in lieu of $5,000 bond, court officials said.

Troy Brown, 20, of Elizabeth Twp. was charged by McKeesport police with theft by unlawful taking and unauthorized use of a motor vehicle. Police said the vehicle in question was reported taken without permission from McKeesport on the night of Dec. 18. Brown was arrested Dec. 26 and is free on $5,000 bond pending a preliminary hearing Feb. 5 before Magisterial District Judge Eugene Riazzi.

Charged in Accident: McKeesport police said a Rankin man was under the influence of alcohol when he wrecked the car he was driving, injuring his passenger and two small children.

Oliver Neal II, 31, was driving west on East Fifth Avenue on the evening of Sept. 29 when his car crossed the double yellow line and struck another vehicle head-on, police said. The driver of the other vehicle, whose name was not immediately available, was taken by ambulance to the hospital, police said.

Neal; a passenger in the vehicle; and the passenger's two children also were transported to the hospital, police said. On Jan. 5, Neal was charged by McKeesport police with driving under the influence of alcohol, aggravated assault by vehicle, causing an accident involving death or injury, endangering the welfare of children, and multiple moving violations, including reckless driving and careless driving.

Neal faces a preliminary hearing Feb. 26 before Magisterial District Judge Eugene Riazzi.

Assault Charges: Simmeon A. Hooks, 30, of McKeesport was charged by McKeesport police with aggravated assault, simple assault, recklessly endangering another person, strangulation, making terroristic threats, carrying a firearm without a license and a firearms violation following a dispute 12:53 p.m. Jan. 1 at a residence in the 900 block of Soles Street. Hooks is being held in the Allegheny County Jail in lieu of $5,000 percentage bond pending a preliminary hearing Feb. 5 before Magisterial District Judge Eugene Riazzi.

David Berry, 65, of McKeesport was charged by McKeesport police with aggravated assault, simple assault and recklessly endangering another person following an altercation in an apartment in the 600 block of Sixth Avenue on Dec. 22. Following a preliminary hearing Jan. 8 before Magisterial District Judge Eugene Riazzi, formal arraignment is scheduled for Feb. 23 in Allegheny County Common Pleas Court.

Gail F. Rainwater, 50, of McKeesport was charged by McKeesport police with aggravated assault, simple assault, recklessly endangering another person and harassment following a dispute at 2:50 a.m. Dec. 23 at a home on Archer Street. Rainwater faces a preliminary hearing March 19 before Magisterial District Judge Eugene Riazzi.

Lewdness Charges: Mark Boyles, 65, of McKeesport was charged by McKeesport police with indecent exposure and open lewdness following an incident at 10:19 p.m. Dec. 26 in the 500 block of Fifth Avenue. A preliminary hearing is scheduled for Feb. 12 before Magisterial District Judge Eugene Riazzi.

Originally published January 31, 2018.

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