Theft at store
nets charges
SAINT CLAIR - Borough police arrested a New Philadelphia man and charged him with three counts of retail theft and receiving stolen property stemming from separate incidents at Wal-Mart Supercenter in April.
Police said the charges against Kenneth Neifert, 27, of 30 Valley St., were filed with Magisterial District Judge David A. Plachko, Port Carbon.
Police said on April 3, Neifert stolen a Samsung 32-inch television set and Sony Home Theatre system valued at $516.
On April 8, police said Neifert stole a 32-inch Visio television set and a surveillance video camera with a combined value of $307.
Finally, police said on April 13, Neifert stole a 32-inch Emerson television valued at $198 from the store.
Warrants were obtained for Neifert's arrest, and he was taken into custody on May 16 by New Philadelphia police and turned over to Saint Clair officers. Neifert was arraigned by Plachko, who set bail at $10,000 straight cash for each of the incidents and remanded the man to Schuylkill County Prison.
Man jailed after
domestic dispute
Pottsville police are investigating an incident that came to light about 8:35 p.m. Monday when officers were called to 203 W. Howard Ave., Apt. 1, for a report of a physical assault domestic incident involving a man allegedly hitting a woman.
Police said officers found a 63-year-old woman lying on her back in the kitchen who, once stabilized, reported that Byron Bechtel, 56, of Pottsville, had argued with her inside their home and struck her in the back of the head with what she believed was a closed fist as she walked away. The blow to the head caused the woman to hit her head off of a wall and fall backward onto the floor, where she hit her head again, police said.
It was learned the woman suffers from numerous medical conditions, most severely a stroke that caused her to have pain in the back of her head and was magnified by Bechtel's actions, police said.
When interviewed, police said Bechtel admitted hitting the woman, his wife, but said it was with an open fist and that she struck her head off a wall and fell to the floor.
Bechtel said the incident began about 5:15 p.m. when the two were involved in a verbal argument that escalated when the woman threw pepper in his face and he hit her, police said.
Police also said Bechtel admitted leaving his wife on the kitchen floor and that she had initially lost consciousness for a few minutes.
During the investigation, police said they found a hand-written note in Byron Bechtel's pocket detailing the events of the day, including his actions during the assault.
The woman was taken to Schuylkill Medical Center-South Jackson Street for evaluation, and due to Byron Bechtel being the woman's primary caretaker, Schuylkill County Senior Services was contacted and a referral was made for future assistance, police said.
Byron Bechtel was arraigned by on-call Magisterial District Judge James R. Ferrier, Orwigsburg, on charges of simple assault pursuant to domestic violence and recklessly endangering another person. He was committed to Schuylkill County Prison unable to post $10,000 bail, police said.
Drug charges
filed in incident
MAHANOY CITY - A borough man was arrested by Mahanoy City police after an incident about 2:50 p.m. Friday in the 4500 block of East Pine Street.
Police said Dennis A. Kressler, 26, of 403 E. Pine St., was charged with prohibited acts for having a pair of tweezers, a straw commonly used for ingesting controlled substances and a hypodermic needle in a black case commonly referred to as a "drug kit."
Police said officers went to the area looking for Kressler on an outstanding warrant out of Montgomery County, and when they found him the man he threw the black case containing the items into a nearby gutter.
Man arrested
on drug charges
MAHANOY CITY - A Morea man was arrested by borough police on drug charges after an incident about 7 p.m. May 19 in the 1200 block of East Mahanoy Avenue.
Police said Alec Jackson, 19, of 73 Roosevelt Drive, was charged with felony possession with intent to deliver a controlled substance and misdemeanor possession of a controlled substance and will now have to answer to the charges before Magisterial District Judge Anthony J. Kilker, Shenandoah.
Police said officers were conducting a controlled drug buy that targeted Mollie McGuire and watched the woman enter a vehicle driven by Jackson. Police said the two left Mahanoy City.
A short time later, the vehicle returned to the borough, and when McGuire was taken into custody, she reported that Jackson gave her a ride to Hazleton, where she purchased two bundles of heroin that she intended to sell in Mahanoy City.
When interviewed, police said Jackson admitted giving McGuire a ride to Hazleton to meet with a mutual friend, a drug dealer, whom he and McGuire had purchased drugs from in the past, police said.
Man faces charges
after incident
MAHANOY CITY - Borough police arrested a borough man after an incident at 128 E. Mahanoy Ave. about 4:45 a.m. Monday.
Police said Abraham C. Davies, 53, of 94 S. Catawissa St., was charged with simple assault and harassment after a domestic incident during which he assaulted his girlfriend, Jeanine Longenberger, at an apartment.
Police said the two became involved in an argument that led to Davies slapping the woman in the face, grabbing her hair and pushing her into a dresser so hard that she broke the bottom drawer.
Longenberger suffered bruising to her left cheek, bruising and swelling to her left ankle and head pain but refused medical treatment at the scene, police said.
Drug sale leads
to charges filed
MAHANOY CITY - An incident at 6:15 p.m. May 14 in the 400 block of East Mahanoy Avenue has led to charges filed by Mahanoy City police against a borough man.
Police said Matthew E. Aggers, 24, of 317 W. South St., was charged with possession with intent to manufacture a controlled substance, possession of a controlled substance and possession of drug paraphernalia.
Police said officers received information that Aggers was selling heroin and made arrangements with a confidential informant to purchase 10 bags for $100. The informant went to the area and met with Aggers, who sold the heroin for $100 and was subsequently taken into custody, police said.
Traffic stop
finds fugitive
DELANO - A traffic stop by state police at Frackville in the northbound lanes of Interstate 81 at mile marker 133 in Delano Township, at 12:40 p.m. Monday resulted in the driver being taken into custody on a fugitive warrant.
Police said they stopped a vehicle driven by Jose Antonio Torres Sanchez, 34, of Orlando, Florida, for a violation and learned the man had an outstanding warrant from Orange County in that state.
Sanchez was taken into custody and arraigned on a fugitive from justice charge by on-call Magisterial District Judge James R. Ferrier, Orwigsburg, who remanded him to prison in lieu of $25,000 straight cash bail to await extradition to Florida.
Woman charged
in store theft
MAHANOY CITY - A borough woman was arrested by Mahanoy City police and charged with retail theft after an incident at the Wine and Spirits Shoppe on Friday.
Police said Tiara R. Pleva, 30, of 219 W. Mahanoy Ave., will have to answer to the charge before Magisterial District Judge Anthony J. Kilker, Shenandoah.
Police said Pleva was charged with going to the store at 7 S. Main St., placing a bottle of Smirnoff Vodka down her pants and trying to leave without paying.
2-vehicle collision
leaves 1 injured
SCHUYLKILL HAVEN - One person suffered minor injuries when two vehicles collided at Route 61 and South Liberty Street in North Manheim Township about 12:15 p.m. Monday, police said.
State police at Schuylkill Haven said Barrie S. Faith, 49, of Orwigsburg, was driving a 2011 Lincoln MKX and was stopped for a stop sign at the intersection, as was a 1999 Toyota Camry driven by Nicholas D. Sansone, 23, of Landingville.
Police said after stopping, both men pulled out at the same time and their vehicles collided in the intersection.
No charges were filed as a result of the crash, and police said Sansone was taken to an area hospital by Pottsville-Schuylkill Haven Area EMS for evaluation.
Barnesville man
injured in crash
BARNESVILLE - A Barnesville man was flown to Lehigh Valley Hospital-Cedar Crest for treatment of injuries he suffered when the 2013 Harley-Davidson Screaming Eagle motorcycle he was driving crashed on Brockton Mountain Drive, just east of Front Road in Ryan Township, about 6 p.m. Monday.
Police said Allan J. Jones, 66, was driving north when he went off of the road and onto the berm and continued through a wooded area before coming to a stop.
Ryan Township EMS treated Jones at the scene, and he was then flown to the Lehigh County trauma center for additional treatment, police said.
Money, guns
taken from home
TUSCARORA - State police at Frackville are investigating a burglary that occurred at 735 Broad St. in this Schuylkill Township village between Thursday and Monday.
Police said someone entered the home of George Machay and removed $3,800 in cash and a silver Smith and Wesson Model 66 .357 revolver.
Anyone with information is asked to call police at 570-874-5300.