South Strabane man arrested on weapons, paraphernalia charges
A South Strabane Township man was arrested by township police after guns were found in his home Monday when officers served a search warrant.
Gary Victor Retos, 64, of 550 Munce Ridge Road, was arrested on five counts of persons not to possess a firearm and one count of possession of drug paraphernalia.
Police had been called to his home April 12 for a report of an unresponsive woman. Police arrived to find a 62-year-old woman, whom Retos identified as his fiancée, on a bedroom floor. Found in the bedroom were several needles and a spoon with residue as well as empty stamp bags, police said.
She was pronounced dead by the Washington County coroner’s office. Retos reportedly told Sgt. Michael Manfredi that he and his fiancée are heroin addicts and they each used four bags of heroin before going to bed the previous night.
About two weeks later, police received a call from the woman’s son, who had gone to the home to retrieve his mother’s belongings. He told police he saw Retos place a handgun in the pocket of a robe he was wearing and also saw a .44-caliber Magnum revolver on the dinette table. The son also had seen other guns in the past at the home.
Detective Michael Schidlmeier reviewed Retos’ criminal history, which showed he he was convicted in 1993 in Trumbull County, Ohio, of aggravated trafficking in drugs. The charge is equivalent to a felony conviction in Pennsylvania, making Retos ineligible to possess firearms, according to court paperwork.
Police obtained the warrant for Retos’ home. Five guns were found inside the home along with suspected paraphernalia. Retos reportedly told the police where the guns could be found and admitted to having possession of them.
Retos was arraigned before District Judge Joshua Kanalis and placed in Washington County jail on $75,000 bond. He is scheduled for a May 22 preliminary hearing before District Judge Jay Weller.