Dec 23, 2013 2 min read

Four people face drug charges after police said they found two bricks of heroin inside the South Strabane Township motel where the suspects were staying.

Washington police said they were alerted to shots fired in the 200 block of Pine Street about 1:30 p.m. Sunday, and witnesses said they saw a man with a gun running to the Motel 6 just off North Avenue.

State police arrived at the motel and knocked on the door to Room 213. Inside, police said they found two bricks of heroin underneath one of the mattresses and other stamp bags of heroin in the room.

They charged all four people inside with felony counts of drug possession with intent to deliver. Arrested at the scene were Richard Harry Banner, 21, of 1720 Bedford Ave., Pittsburgh; Dontaey L. Clites, 22, of 370 Duncan Ave., Washington; Aaliyah Marie Dillard, 19, of 24 Baltimore Ave., North Franklin Township; and Nahje LaShelle Patterson, 19, of 210 Ridge Ave., Washington.

Police said they also found a gun hidden inside a bathroom fixture. Banner faces additional charges of possession of drug paraphernalia and carrying a firearm without a license.

All four suspects were arraigned by District Judge David Mark and taken to Washington County jail on $50,000 bonds.

City police said they also responded to a report of shots fired in the 300 block of Duncan Avenue about 3 a.m. Saturday. It was not known if the two incidents were related.

No charges have been filed against anyone in connection with the two shooting incidents.

Staff writer Francesca Sacco contributed to this report.