Sheriff's Deputies Arrest Most Wanted Suspect

One of Allegheny County's most wanted suspects was arrested by Sheriff's Deputies at a campground on Thursday night.

Authorities say 27-year old Christopher Cimino, of Swissvale, was wanted for a parole violation.

According to investigators, Cimino was charged with simple assault and criminal mischief back in June. He is accused of assaulting his girlfriend.

Officials say Sherriff's Deputies found him with his girlfriend at the Slippery Rock Campground Park in Lawrence County.

Cimino is now being held without bond.

Man arrested after domestic dispute

Published July 21, 2009 08:53 am -

NEW LOCAL: Man arrested after domestic dispute


New Castle News

An Enon Valley man was arrested following a domestic dispute Saturday.

Pennsylvania State Police charged Shawn Allen Martin, 52, with simple assault, a second-degree misdemeanor, after an incident at 5:45 p.m. Saturday in Little Beaver Township.

Police said Martin threw and struck a woman with a plastic lawn chair, causing injury.

Martin was arraigned Saturday before District Judge Scott McGrath and was released on a $1,000 unsecured bond.

Martin’s preliminary hearing is scheduled for 9:30 a.m. July 28 before District Judge Jerry G. Cartwright.

http://www.ncnewsonline.com/local/local_story_202085412.html

Two accused of sexual assault

NEW LOCAL: Two accused of sexual assault


New Castle News

A 20-year-old man and a male juvenile are accused of sexually assaulting an 11-year-old girl.

The incident allegedly took place during the July 4 weekend in Hickory Township.

Robert James Floyd of 291 Eastbrook-Neshannock Falls Road is charged with two counts of statutory sexual assault, two counts of aggravated indecent assault, two counts of indecent assault and two counts of corruption of minors.

Floyd was arraigned Friday before District Judge Scott McGrath, after turning himself in to state police. He was placed in the Lawrence County jail and bond was set at $20,000.

A 17-year-old male of Alliance, Ohio, is charged with statutory sexual assault, aggravated indecent assault and indecent assault. He was placed in the Krause Shelter Center and a juvenile petition will be filed against him. He also turned himself in to police.

According to reports, the victim told a parent she had consensual sex at Floyd’s home with the two accused.

The parent contacted police who learned that the juvenile was visiting Floyd at his home the time and the victim was visiting friends there, police said.

The victim was not injured and no physical force was used during the assault, reports said.

http://www.ncnewsonline.com/local/local_story_202074409.html

No Word On Whether Arson Suspected

Blaze Rips Through Another Home In New Castle

No Word On Whether Arson Suspected

Posted: 7:40 am EDT July 21, 2009Updated: 10:34 am EDT July 21, 2009

NEW CASTLE, Pa. -- Firefighters responded to another fire in New Castle late Monday night.Flames tore through a home along Patterson Street, which is in a different area of town from where there have been a series of arsons at vacant homes.Lawrence County emergency dispatchers were unable to confirm if the home was vacant or not.There have been 12 suspicious fires in the past six months in New Castle.There is a $3,000 reward for information leading to an arrest and conviction in that investigation.Neighbors met with the mayor and fire chief earlier this month to find out what they can do to stop the arsonist.They focused on curfews, patrols and vacant houses.The mayor said the city has been approved for a $100,000 grant to demolish abandoned homes. There are 10 homes already on the list.

http://www.wpxi.com/news/20127148/detail.html

Police Raid Suspected Meth Lab In New Castle Mobile Home

Posted: 3:27 pm EDT July 17, 2009Updated: 5:34 pm EDT July 17, 2009

NEW CASTLE, Pa. -- New Castle police arrested a man accused of making crystal methamphetamine in his mobile home.Joshua Rogers was arrested on felony drug charges after an undercover police officer entered his home.According to the criminal complaint, the arresting officer saw all the makings for a meth lab inside the mobile home -- glass beakers, gas cans with attached hoses, a blender and a large number of cold medications.Rogers boasted to the undercover officer how experienced and good he was at making methamphetamine, according to the complaint.Chief Tom Sansone of the New Castle Police Department said police were happy to have made a timely arrest.

Copyright 2009 by WPXI.com. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

http://www.wpxi.com/news/20091227/detail.html

New Castle Authorities, Residents Fed Up With Arsons

Posted: 6:37 am EDT July 14, 2009Updated: 4:43 pm EDT July 14, 2009

NEW CASTLE, Pa. -- New Castle residents joined their community's fire chief in expressing their fear and frustration after a fire erupted in another vacant house Tuesday morning."It's very frustrating," said New Castle Fire Chief Tom Maciarello. "I'm at a loss for words right now."The most recent fire brings the total of suspected arsons to 13 this year.Tuesday's fire started at about 3:30 a.m. at a vacant home at Oak and Ray streets. Firefighters let the house burn to the ground, using water only to make sure it didn't spread to nearby homes.Officials said the house was on a list of vacant homes to be torn down in New Castle.Channel 11 News spoke with New Castle Police Chief Tom Sansone, who said they have not determined if the fires are connected or unrelated."Several of them, in the way they start, seem to be connected -- the same (Lower East Side) area or manner they start them in and the accelerant they use," Sansone said. "In other ones, it's totally different so it's our opinion some of these fires could be related (and) some may not be.""We think we may be looking for more than one person in these (arsons)," he said."(Whoever's responsible is) trying to stay one step ahead of us," said Maciarello. "He's going to slip up sooner or later."New Castle City Council is pushing for a resolution to make it law where property owners have to register a house abandoned within a year, or they could face fines. Money collected in fines could help tear down other dilapidated properties.New Castle police are also increasing their patrols in the Lower East Side where most of the fires have been set. They are asking residents to be their eyes and ears on the street.Many neighbors have seen enough as it is, though. "(It's) unsettling. It is something we have to continuously worry about," said neighbor Brandi Lykins. "I know there is a vacant house behind my garage and another one down (the street).""It makes me real nervous," said Tina Hoffman, neighbor. "I had to up my homeowners insurance in case that caught on fire to protect myself. So it's very nerve racking."The house's owner, Janis Tummavichakul, arrived at the scene while the home was engulfed in flames Tuesday morning."This is so detrimental to the community," said Tummavichakul. "We, as residents and homeowners, have to be exposed to this and live in fear not knowing what victim is going to be next."The flames came just hours after neighbors met to address the town's arson problem. At that meeting, residents raised the reward to $3,000 for information leading to the arrest and conviction of anyone responsible for setting the fires.

http://www.wpxi.com/news/20047069/detail.html

Reward Increased For New Castle Arsonist Arrest

Posted: 6:04 am EDT July 12, 2009Updated: 11:54 pm EDT July 13, 2009

NEW CASTLE, Pa. -- Neighbors and community leaders met Monday night in New Castle, to develop an action plan to stop an arsonist.There have been 12 suspicious fires over the past six months in New Castle.Hunter Davis' house was the last to be torched."Most of the time they were burning abandoned houses. Like my neighbor said, I'm always gone, maybe they didn't think anyone was there," Davis said.Neighbors met with the mayor and fire chief to find out what they can do to stop the arsonist.They focused on curfews, patrols and vacant houses.The mayor told the group the city has been approved for a $100,000 grant to demolish abandoned homes.There are 10 homes already on the list."We have absentee owners who live in Florida, California, Kentucky, Bermuda. They're not maintaining the properties," said Mayor Anthony Mastangelo.A $3,000 reward is being offered for information leading to an arrest.

http://www.wpxi.com/news/20029689/detail.html

Car Takes Out Gas Pump In Lawrence County

Posted: 5:38 pm EDT July 9, 2009Updated: 4:55 pm EDT July 10, 2009

SHENANGO TOWNSHIP, Pa. -- Police said two drivers will likely be cited in a crash that ended with a gas pump knocked over at a Lawrence County gas station.Pauline Cunningham was working at the counter at the Sunoco along Route 65 in Shenango Township when she saw a car coming straight toward the gas station."It was pretty scary. Everybody kept thinking we were going to blow up," said Cunningham.Surveillance video from Sunoco was releaed on Friday. Watch video.Police said one driver swerved to avoid hitting a car that pulled out in front of him on Route 65, causing him to crash into the gas pump at about 40 mph.The pump shut off automatically, police said. Cunningham turned off the rest of the pumps herself.The gas station was back open for business on Friday.

Copyright 2009 by WPXI.com. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

http://www.wpxi.com/news/20007563/detail.html

Hearing Held For Wampum Murder Suspect

New Castle (KDKA) - A hearing was held in Lawrence County for the 11-year-old boy facing charges in the death of his father's pregnant fiancée.

Jordan Brown is accused in the fatal shooting of 26-year-old Kenzie Houk at the family's farmhouse in Wampum back in February.

"They always go over his rights. But what rights do we have?," Debbie Houk, the mother of victim Kenzie Houk wondered as she listened to testimony at today's hearing.

Christopher Brown, the father of 11-year-old Jordan Brown, testified he would never have given permission for his son to be interviewed by a state trooper the day of the killing.

He agreed to an interview of his son later, but that's one reason the defense wants the content of that discussion thrown out.

Prosecutor John Bongivengo disagrees.

"At the time he was not considered a suspect," said the prosecutor.

But defense attorney David Acker says the boy's description of a black truck at the scene is at issue.

Acker says the victim was once threatened by someone who drove such a truck and the prosecution claims the boy's statements about that are inconsistent.

"We believe Jordan is innocent, and time will tell," said the boy's great aunt, Cynthia Wiseman.

Lawrence County Judge Dominick Motto did not rule on various pretrial evidence motions today.

The defense has yet to ask the judge to certify Brown as a juvenile.

He remains an adult in the eyes of the law at this point.

http://kdka.com/local/Jordan.Brown.hearing.2.1069011.html