Charleroi Regional police investigate incident as possible drug deal gone bad
From left, Jaron Satterwhite, Donte Warner and Derek Scott Sapp
Dontae Warner
Jaron Satterwhite
Derek Scott Sapp
Charleroi Regional police are investigating an incident late Friday afternoon at a North Charleroi home in which a gun allegedly was pointed at a 6-year-old boy and four adults as a possible drug deal gone bad.
Police arrested Jaron Satterwhite, 22, of Homestead, Donte Warner, 23, of Pittsburgh, and Derek Scott Sapp, 27, of 709 Lincoln St., North Charleroi.
Chief Eric Porter said police were called about 4:44 p.m. to a home at 715 Monongahela St. for a report of a 6-year-old boy having a gun held to his head.
As police arrived, they said they saw a man later identified as Sapp running from the house carrying a book bag. The officer ordered him to stop, but Sapp ran north across Route 88, crossed railroad tracks and was taken into custody in an alley between Route 88 and Liberty Avneue. Next to him, according to police, was the book bag filled with suspected marijuana. Police said the marijuana was in several bags, and there was a larger bag containing about a pound of the suspected drug.
Police entered the house and learned two men armed with guns had entered the house and pointed the guns at the occupants’ heads. One, identified as Satterwhite, allegedly told the occupants he had killed people in the past. Warner was identified as the other man in the house.
Satterwhite was found about 20 minutes after the reported incident walking north in the 500 block of Monongahela Street. He was identified as one of the gunmen by the alleged victims.
Police were not able to locate Warner, who reportedly ran south toward the Monongahela River. Police searched the area with the help of Lifeflight and a drone owned by a Lock No. 4 firefighter. They found Warner in a field after he called his mother, telling her he could not move and possibly had broken his legs. Warner was found with a cellphone and the identification of one of the alleged victims, police said. He was flown to Allegheny General Hospital for treatment but was released to police later Friday night.
Porter said use of the drone was helpful.
“We didn’t want to put any firefighters in harm’s way because we did not know if Warner still had a gun,” Porter said.
Porter said police have had previous contact with Sapp, but he believes this was their first encounter with Satterwhite and Warner.
Satterwhite was arraigned before District Judge Ethan Ward on charges of robbery, aggravated assault on a child, four counts of aggravated assault, five counts of reckless endangerment, one count of receiving stolen property and carrying a firearm without a license. He was placed in Washington County Jail on $1 million bond. Warner was arraigned before Ward on charges of robbery and receiving stolen property. He also was placed in jail on $1 million bond.
Porter said the jail would not take Sapp because he suffered an injury to an orbital bone. He was taken to Washington Hospital and then transferred to a Pittsburgh hospital. Sapp reportedly left the hospital but was later taken into custody by Charleroi Regional police. He was arraigned Saturday before Ward on charges of possession and possession with intent to deliver marijuana, flight to avoid apprehension and possession of paraphernalia. He also was placed in jail on $1 million bond.
All three are scheduled for a May 4 preliminary hearing before District Judge Larry Hopkins.