Police beat Feb. 14
Fire ruled accidental: A state police fire marshal ruled that a Feb. 11 fire that did $20,000 in damage to a home owned by Linda Dire, 590 Highland Ridge Road, Buffalo, was accidental and started in a wall space near a chimney.
Drug arrest: Stephen Terhorst, 21, of 226 Birch Road, Acme and a student at California University of Pennsylvania, is charged by the Washington County drug task force with marijuana delivery, drug possession and criminal use of a cellphone, court records show. Detectives accuse Terhorst of selling them a small amount of marijuana for $60 near the volleyball courts at Vulcan Village, 255 California Road, about 9:15 p.m. Jan. 25. He is free on $10,000 bond set Monday by District Judge Joshua Kanalis.
Ladder stolen: Samantha Adams of 153 W. College St. told Canonsburg police Sunday a 6-foot aluminum ladder with yellow markings was stolen from her front porch.
Theft charge: Rachel R. Phillips, 34, of 64 Oakwood Ave., Canton Township, was charged last week by Canonsburg police with felony retail theft and theft. She is accused of stealing six bottles of perfume valued at $320 from Rite Aid, 601 W. Pike St., last October. The charges were sent by summons from the office of District Judge David Mark.
Man jailed: Shawn M. Roble, 22, of 1670 Henderson Ave., Washington, is charged by state police with trespassing, resisting arrest, harassment and criminal mischief, court records show. Police accuse him of breaking into a residence in the 1000 block of Lynn Portal Road and struggling with the resident who confronted him before troopers arrived about 2:10 a.m. Sunday. Police also used force to apprehend Roble. He is in Washington County jail on $10,000 bond set by District Judge Mark Wilson.
Bad checks charge: Cathy Thompson of 216 North Ave., Washington, was charged in a private criminal complaint with writing bad checks. She is accused of writing two bad checks for $800 each to John Giecek, 2366 Jefferson Ave., Canton, last September. She allegedly never made good on the checks and did not return telephone calls to Giecek. The charge was sent by summons from the office of District Judge David Mark.
Assault alleged: Alphonso Lee Bowman, 48, of Charleroi, is charged by Charleroi Regional police with simple assault and harassment over allegations he struck his girlfriend, Lori Allen, in the face at 728 Fallowfield Ave. about 11 p.m. Saturday, court records show. Bowman is in Washington County jail on $5,000 bond set by District Judge Mark Wilson.
Father charged: Douglas Seaman Jr., 31, of 260 E. Pike St., Houston, was charged in a private criminal complaint by an administrator with Chartiers-Houston School District with theft for allegedly being delinquent in paying on his child’s lunch account at Chartiers-Houston High School, in the amount of $271.60. The charge was sent by summons from the office of District Judge David Mark.
Woman jailed: Marci Lea Trussell, 41, of 14 Liberty St., Fallowfield Township, is charged by state police with simple assault and harassment over allegations she struck her mother, Cindy Lee Oklejwicz, and husband, Harry Trussell, several times with her hands in her residence about 6 p.m. Saturday, court records show. She also is accused of striking her mother in the face with a shoe. She is in Washington County jail on $5,000 bond set by District Judge Mark Wilson.
DUI, paraphernalia charges: Ryan Lee Duritza, 22, of 301 Mary Lane, North Strabane Township, was charged last week by state police with driving under the influence of a combination of drugs and alcohol, careless driving and possession of paraphernalia stemming from a Dec. 23 traffic stop on East Pike Street near Cherry Avenue, Houston. Police said he had marijuana in his system and his blood-alcohol content just under the 0.08 percent limit at which intoxication is presumed. The charges were sent by summons from the office of District Judge David Mark.
DUI alleged in crash: State police said Aaron Baker, 35, of Morgantown, W.Va., will be charged with driving under the influence of alcohol after crashing his vehicle in the 200 block of Bethel Ridge Road, Jefferson. Police said he was driving north Friday when his vehicle hit a patch of ice, struck an embankment and flipped on the driver’s side. Baker was not injured.
Golf course damaged: Greens and fairways at Chippewa Golf Course, 128 Chippewa Road, Somerset, were damaged between Feb. 4 and 8 when a vehicle drove across them, state police said.
Assault arrest: James Elliott, 54, of 765 ½ Addison St., Washington, was arrested Saturday by Washington police on charges of aggravated assault and harassment. He is accused of punching James Skidmore, 56, of Washington in the face in an area behind a business in the 900 block of West Chestnut Street. Police found Elliott on railroad tracks in the area. Witnesses told police he hit Skidmore, who was taken to Washington Hospital for treatment. Elliott was arraigned before District Judge Mark Wilson and placed in Washington County Jail on $5,000 bond.
Cans stolen: Deanne Montgomery of 1085 Arch St. told Washington police Monday two plastic garbage cans valued at $120 were stolen from outside her home.
Tools stolen: David Kilgallen of Washington told Washington police Saturday that tools including a paint sprayer, saws and drill valued at $1,760 were stolen from an apartment he had been hired to work on in the 1000 block of Michigan Avenue.
Tires cut: Jessica Smith of Graceton, Indiana County, told Washington police Friday the two rear tires on her vehicle were cut while the vehicle was parked on Victoria Street.
Harassment charge: Michael Breese, 23, of 425 Baird Ave., Washington, will be charged by Washington police with harassment after he allegedly called Daijai Smith, Maple Terrace, at least 20 times and made threats to assault her. Smith told police Friday that as part of a plea agreement in a previous case, Breese was not to contact her.