Police Beat Feb. 8
Storage unit burglarized: State police said the lock was cut on a storage unit at 140 Ohio St., Canton, on Feb. 1. Nothing appears to have been stolen, police said.
Altered plates: Jaime Gamaliel Lopez, 27, of Pittsburgh, was charged last week by North Strabane police with having altered or forged plates and traffic violations stemming from a Jan. 21 traffic stop at the intersection of Four Coins Drive and Weavertown Road. The charges will be sent by summons from the office of District Judge Jay Weller.
DUI crash: Derek T. Lanius, 33, of Orange, Texas, was charged last week by state police with driving under the influence of alcohol, careless driving and traffic violations stemming from a Feb. 1 crash on Interstate 79 northbound near the Houston exit. Police said he refused to submit to a blood-alcohol test. The charges will be sent by summons from the office of District Judge Jay Weller.
Theft charge: Jonathan J. Benjamin, 29, of Jollick Manor, Washington, was charged last week by state police at the Meadows Casino with theft after he allegedly stole a wallet dropped by a customer on Jan. 28. The charge will be sent by summons from the office of District Judge Jay Weller.
Charged in crash: Fawne Mae Nichols, 26, of 56 Old Monongahela Pike, Eighty Four, was charged Tuesday by North Strabane police with driving under the influence of alcohol and careless driving stemming from a Jan. 14 crash on Boone Avenue. The charges will be sent by summons from the office of District Judge Jay Weller.
Former employees charged: Former employees at Claire’s, Tanger Outlets, were charged Tuesday with theft by South Strabane police stemming from separate alleged incidents late last year. Charged were Brooke Lee Johnson, 29, of 616 Regent St., Houston, and Jenna M. Telenko, 20, of Jerome, Somerset County. Johnson is charged with theft by deception for allegedly making six fraudulent cash refunds for $398.16. Telenko is charged with theft by deception and theft by failing to make required disposition of funds. She is accused of making fraudulent returns of $704.88 and failing to make deposits of $251.08. The charges against the two will be sent by summons from the office of District Judge Jay Weller.
DUI charge: Richard S. Markely, 53, of 5019 Norman Ave., Finleyville, was charged Tuesday by South Strabane police with driving under the influence of alcohol. Police said his blood-alcohol content was almost three times the 0.08 percent limit when his vehicle became stuck on a retaining wall off Humbert Lane. The charge will be sent by summons from the office of District Judge Jay Weller.
Hit-and-run charges: Brian Willhoft, 20, of 372 Hancock St., North Franklin Township, was charged last week by state police with driving under the influence of alcohol, reckless endangerment, underage drinking and failure to render aid stemming from a Jan. 21 hit-and-run crash on Interstate 79 near the Racetrack Road exit, North Strabane. Police said he had two girls, ages 15 and 17, in the vehicle when he fled. His blood-alcohol content was more than four times the 0.02 percent limit at which intoxication is presumed for drivers under the age of 21, according to police. The charges will be sent by summons from the office of District Judge Jay Weller
Theft charge: Tiffany L. Sloneker, 31, of 123 W. Walnut St., Washington, was charged last week by South Strabane police with access device fraud, theft and receiving stolen property. She is accused of using a gift card that was stolen from a customer at Walmart, Trinity Point, on Jan. 19. The charges will be sent by summons from the office of District Judge Jay Weller.
Charged in crash: Jace Nicholas Carlile, 21, of 141 Bench Ave., Canton Township, was charged Monday by state police with driving under the influence of alcohol and failure to drive at a safe speed stemming from a June 17 crash on Interstate 79, South Strabane. Police said his blood-alcohol content was almost double the 0.08 percent limit at which intoxication is presumed. The charges will be sent by summons from the office of District Judge Jay Weller.
Two injured: William Anderson, 85, and Patricia Anderson, 82, of 1300 Fells Church Road, Belle Vernon, were injured when their vehicle and a vehicle driven by Amy Marie McAlister, 41, of 54 Stonehenge Road, Washington, collided Monday at the intersection of Route 136 and Floral Hill Drive, South Strabane police said. The Andersons were taken to Washington Hospital for treatment.
Vehicles entered: Ron Cochran of 299 Fairview Ave. told South Strabane police that his vehicles were broken into Monday. Loose change was stolen from one vehicle, and seven hoagie coupons, $30 and lighters were stolen from a second vehicle.
Woman jailed: Lena Louise Salem, 31, who is homeless, is charged by Charleroi Regional police with possession of crystal methamphetamine, possession of drug paraphernalia and giving police a false identification stemming from a disturbance in the 200 block of Grandview Way about 11:50 p.m. Monday, court records show. Salem is in Washington County jail on $25,000 bond set by District Judge Mark Wilson.
Woman assaulted: Brittany Brodak, 26, of California, was assaulted by a 19-year-old man at 695 Ewing St. Monday, Washington police said. Her alleged assailant, who left before police arrived, faces an assault charge, police said.
Pipe stolen: Larry Maloy of South Strabane Township told Washington police Monday that copper pipe was stolen from a house he owns on Church Street.