Police Beat April 10
CALIFORNIA
Assault alleged: Donovan Piccolo, 36, of 470 Seventh St., Donora, is charged by borough police with aggravated assault, strangulation and simple assault, court records show. Police accuse Piccolo of striking Lyndsey Zelenski in the head, grabbing her arms and choking her at about 3:20 a.m. Saturday in a residence in the 200 block of Mechanic Street. Piccolo is in Washington County jail on $10,000 bond set by District Judge Mark Wilson.
CANONSBURG
Warrant arrest: Latoya Rosiek, 33, of Oak Street, Muse, was taken into custody Friday by Canonsburg police on a bench warrant after receiving information that she was at a home on Blaine Avenue. Police went to the home and was told she was not there. As police were leaving, they saw a car drive by in which she was a passenger. Police stopped the car in North Strabane Township. Rosiek was found with suspected drug paraphernalia. She was placed in Washington County Jail on the warrant. The 38-year-old woman driving the car also is facing charges for possession of a controlled substance and paraphernalia.
CHARLEROI
Man arraigned: Dennis McKnight, 46, of 708 Fallowfield Ave., Charleroi, is charged by Charleroi Regional police with simple assault over allegations he grabbed Jaunita Vega by the wrists at about 1 a.m. Saturday in his residence, court records show. He is free on $5,000 unsecured bond set by District Judge Mark Wilson.
DONORA
Thefts alleged: Jeramiah Leyhue, 39, of 325 Phillips St., Speers, is charged by borough police with five counts of theft over allegations he stole appliances owned by Cliff Jere and worth $3,000 when he moved out of an apartment Jere owns at 93 McKean Ave. at about 11:15 a.m. March 29. District Judge Mark Wilson issued the charges Thursday in a summons.
Drug charge: Brenda Kay Stratton, 55, of 111 N. Second St., West Newton, is charged by borough police with possessing a small amount of crack and possession of drug paraphernalia stemming from a traffic stop at about 5:15 p.m. April 3 on the Donora-Monessen Bridge, court records show. District Judge Mark Wilson issued the charges Thursday in a summons.
NORTH FRANKLIN
Theft, fraud charges: Keith Allen Beatty, II, 19, of 10 Bresock Lane, Washington, was charged Monday by North Franklin police with theft and access device fraud. He is accused of stealing a debit card from an 83-year-old woman who lives at Bellmead Apartments, 815 S. Main St., and using it to withdraw $400 from an automated teller machine in Sunbury, Northumberland County, on April 2. An attempt to withdraw $200 was denied by the bank. The alleged victim told police that he had visited her on March 31 and that his mother lives in Sunbury. The charges will be sent by summons from the office of District Judge Robert Redlinger.
NORTH STRABANE
Endangerment charge: Chyane Naraskivitch, 28, of 1375 Allison Ave., Washington, was charged last week by North Strabane police with driving under the influence of alcohol and endangering the welfare of children after she allegedly crashed a van March 2 on Route 519 near Rush Lane. Police said she had six children in the van between the ages of 6 and 10 when the vehicle slid off the road over an embankment. Her blood alcohol level was almost double the 0.08 limit presumed for intoxication. Charges will be sent by summons from the office of District Judge Jay Weller.
School bus, vehicle collide: North Strabane police said that a school bus and a vehicle collided about 7:50 a.m. Monday near the intersection of Route 19 and Fulton Road. Antoinette Kuchera of Canonsburg was preparing to make a right turn onto Route 19 from Fulton when another driver motioned her to proceed. She struck the right rear of the Canon-McMillan school bus driven by Andrea Slebonick of Cecil. There were no students on the bus and no injuries were reported, police said.
Weapons violation: Guy Commesser, 48, of 9 E. Pitt St., Canonsburg, was charged last week by North Strabane police with having a prohibited offensive weapon and a traffic violation stemming from a March 27 traffic stop on Route 19 north. Police said he had a stun gun. The charges will be sent by summons from the office of District Judge Jay Weller.
PETERS
Store robbed: A robbery was reported shortly before 11 p.m. Sunday at the BP station at 3894 Washington Road. The perpetrator made off with an undisclosed amount of cash, according to police, who are investigating.
SOMERSET
Faces charges: Allen Rusilko, 68, of Ellsworth, faces charges of simple assault and disorderly conduct after he allegedly displayed a gun during a road rage incident involving another man Friday at the intersection of Routes 136 and 519, state police said. The gun was seized from Rusilko, police said.
SOUTH STRABANE
Theft charge: Ronae M. Patterson, 48, of 209 Donnan Ave., Washington, was charged last week by South Strabane police with theft by deception after she allegedly tried to make a fraudulent return March 27 at Kohl’s, Strabane Square. The charge was sent by summons from the office of District Judge Jay Weller.
Access device fraud: Sky Whitney Nelson, 25, of 305 Third St., Washington, was charged last week by South Strabane police with access device fraud after she allegedly used a township resident’s Netspend card to withdraw $200 from the account without permission. The charge was sent by summons from the office of District Judge Jay Weller.
WASHINGTON
Faces gun charges: A 21-year-old Canton Township man faces a weapons charge after traffic stop Sunday afternoon by Washington police on East Wylie Avenue near Jefferson Avenue. The man reportedly had a loaded 9mm handgun but did not have a permit to carry the weapon. He also reportedly had a bag of marijuana. Police confiscated the weapon and ammunition.
Harassment alleged: Trey Willis, 32, of 219 Locust Ave., Washington, will be charged by Washington police with harassment after he allegedly struck his estranged wife in the face during an incident Sunday at her Shannon Avenue home.
Cellphone stolen: Joe Daugherty of Washington told Washington police Saturday that his cellphone was stolen while he was at May’rz Inn, 165 S. Main St.
Money stolen: Misty Hewitt of South Franklin Township told Washington police Saturday that $200 was stolen from her purse while she was a patient at Washington Hospital.
Woman assaulted: A 37-year-old Washington woman told Washington police that she was assaulted by a man outside her Jefferson Avenue apartment Sunday. She said the man put his arm across her throat and headbutted her before she kicked him and got away.
Parole violator: Melissa Zelenka, 35, of 303 Second St., Marianna, was taken into custody Friday on a state parole warrant at a home in the 200 block of Locust Avenue. Washington police said she faces additional charges after they found her with syringes and suspected heroin stamp bags. Zelenka was placed in Washington County Jail on the violation.
Railing damaged: A recently installed railing outside Immaculate Conception Church, 119 W. Chestnut St., near a handicapped ramp was damaged by vandals. The damage was reported Friday.