Mar 14, 2018 8 min read

CANONSBURG

Two face charges: Virginia Gale Smith, 36, of 155 Sunset Drive, Washington, and Dwayne C. Adams, 42, of 334 Ross Road, Eighty Four, face charges stemming from an incident Monday night in the 500 block of Giffin Avenue. Canonsburg police were called to the area for a report of suspicious people. They found the two in a vehicle parked in the area. Police said Smith, who had suspected drug paraphernalia, lied about her identity and had to be identified using a fingerprint scan. She was placed in Washington County jail on a probation violation. Smith will be charged with false identification to police and possession of paraphernalia. Adams, who police said had suspected Suboxone and paraphernalia, waived immediate arraignment on charges of possession of a controlled substance and paraphernalia. He was released.

CANTON

Driver charged: Samantha L. Wetzel, 24, of Washington, was charged by state police with failure to notify police of a crash, careless driving, a stop sign violation, failure to drive at a safe speed and failure to stay in her lane after reportedly crashing her pickup truck early Sunday in Canton. Police said she was going west on Smiley Road when she went through a stop sign, crossed both lanes of Jefferson Avenue and crashed into a ditch. She was not injured.

CECIL

Drivers escape injury: Gabrielle Cuckovich, 19, of Rochester Hills, Mich., and Ryan Perkins, 20, of Bridgeville, escaped injury when their vehicles collided early Saturday and overturned on Interstate 79 northbound near the Southpointe exit in Cecil. State police charged Cuckovich with careless driving, failure to drive at a safe speed and failure to stay in her lane.

MONESSEN

Theft arrest: Mac Molek, 38, of West Pike Run Township, was charged Friday by Monessen police with theft of secondary metal, theft and receiving stolen property. Police said Molek allegedly stole a number of pieces of iron pipe and other materials from behind a building on Schoonmaker Avenue. Molek is in Westmoreland County jail on $35,000 set by District Judge Herbert Mitchell Jr.

NORTH CHARLEROI

Drug charges: Monessen police charged Joseph D. Axton, 39, of Charleroi, Saturday with drug possession with intent to deliver, drug possession, marijuana possession, possession of drug paraphernalia, driving with a suspended license and driving without valid registration. The charges stem from a traffic stop near Fifth Street and Lincoln Avenue that day. Monessen and Charleroi Regional police allegedly found about 200 grams of suspected marijuana in multiple baggies, digital scale and pill bottle with five joints in the car Axton was driving. Axton is free on $50,000 bond set by District Judge Jason Buczak.

NORTH FRANKLIN

Mail truck hits house: No one was injured Thursday morning when a U.S. Postal Service truck hit a house on West Maiden Street, North Franklin police said. Janessa Lynn Kelley, 26, of Canonsburg, told police she was driving the truck east up the hill when she hit a patch of ice. The truck crossed into the westbound lane, went through a yard and hit the house at 410 W. Maiden St. There was moderate damage to the house owned by George Dicks.

NORTH STRABANE

Bad check charge: Amanda Wright of Pittsburgh was charged last week in a private criminal complaint by Bobby Rahal BMW of South Hills, 2610 Washington Road, North Strabane, with writing a bad check for $1,560.59 to the dealership in December. The charge was sent by summons from the office of District Judge Jay Weller.

Drug charge: James E. Moss, 38, of 426 Houston St., Washington, was charged last week by North Strabane police with possession of crack after he allegedly was found with the suspected drug March 2 in the lobby of Comfort Inn, 237 Meadowlands Boulevard. The charge was sent by summons from the office of District Judge Jay Weller.

Cellphone stolen: Felicia Heisler, 51, of 515 Main St., Brownsville, was charged last week by state police at The Meadows Casino, 210 Racetrack Road, with theft of mislaid property after she allegedly stole a cellphone a woman dropped at the casino Feb. 10. The charge was sent by summons from the office of District Judge Jay Weller.

Unlawful contact charge: Michael J. Kissel III, 53, of Bethlehem, Lehigh County, was charged last week by North Strabane police with unlawful contact with a minor, criminal use of a communications facility and indecent exposure. He is accused of sending photographs of himself to a person he thought was a 14-year-old North Strabane girl, but who actually was a police officer. The charges were sent by summons from the office of District Judge Jay Weller.

SOMERSET

Bar cited: The operators of Rosie’s Mingo Inn, 2698 Route 136, Somerset, were cited last week by the state police Bureau of Liquor Control Enforcement for selling alcohol to a minor Jan. 31. The inn also was cited for failure to post signs of suspension Nov. 27.

SOUTH STRABANE

Driver charged: Linda Marie Hennen, 56, of Pittsburgh, was charged last week by state police with possession of marijuana and paraphernalia, driving under the influence of alcohol and a controlled substance and several traffic violations after she reportedly crashed her vehicle into a guardrail on Interstate 79 southbound near the north junction with Interstate 70, South Strabane, Feb. 5. She was not at the scene when police arrived. When she was found, police said her blood-alcohol content was more than double the 0.08 percent limit at which intoxication is presumed. She also had cocaine in her system, police said. Charges were sent by summons from the office of District Judge Jay Weller.

Suspect arraigned: Anthony M. Otlano, 32, of South Park, was arraigned last week before District Judge Jay Weller on charges of access device fraud, theft and receiving stolen property. He is accused of stealing a purse from a woman’s unlocked vehicle while it was parked Feb. 23 at Texas Roadhouse, Strabane Square. He then allegedly used a stolen card to make a $200 purchase at Walmart. Weller set bond at $5,000 for Otlano, who is in Allegheny County jail on similar charges filed against him by West Mifflin police.

Receiving, theft charges: Willie Johnson Jr., 26, of Pittsburgh, was charged Monday by South Strabane police with retail theft, receiving stolen property and driving with a suspended license after he allegedly stole one television set valued at $378 Feb. 19 and two television sets valued at $1,196 Feb. 20 from Walmart, Trinity Point. The charges were sent by summons from the office of District Judge Jay Weller.

Two charged: Leigh Ann Cecchine, 43, and Judith Patton, 57, both of 450 E. Prospect Ave., Washington, were charged by South Strabane police with retail theft after they allegedly stole items from Target, Strabane Square, Friday. Cecchine also was charged with driving with a suspended license. The charges were filed at the office of District Judge Jay Weller.

Theft charge: Jack C. Adams, 76, of 101 Lightholder Drive, Washington, was charged by South Strabane police with theft of mislaid property after he allegedly took a wallet containing $195 a man dropped on the ground outside Lowe’s, Strabane Square, Feb. 28. He allegedly returned the wallet, but took the cash. Township police said Adams later turned over the money to them. The charge was sent by summons from the office of District Judge Jay Weller.

Drug charges: Bryan R. Emery, 54, of 836 ½ Duncan Ave., Washington, and Ashley Loar, 27, who has no known address, were charged this week by South Strabane police with possession and possession with intent to deliver heroin, possession of paraphernalia, criminal use of a communications facility and conspiracy after police said 100 stamp bags of heroin were found in their room at Motel 6, 1283 Motel 6 Drive, Jan. 5, 2017. Emery’s charges were sent by summons from the office of District Judge Jay Weller. Police obtained a warrant for Loar.

WASHINGTON

Vehicle stolen: Brittany Ellis of Washington told Washington police Monday a blue, 2003 Mitsubishi Montero with license JKW-4559 was stolen from the rear of the 500 block of West Chestnut Street. The registered owner is Keith Ellis.

W. BROWNSVILLE

Theft arrest: Carrie Elizabeth Jeter, 41, of 2095 Second St., Denbo, was arrested Monday on charges of retail theft and conspiracy filed by West Brownsville police. She is accused of stealing a tool kit and power washer from Walmart, Daniel Kendall Drive, July 20. She was arraigned before District Judge Traci McDonald and placed in Washington County jail on $5,000 bond.