Police Report 10/13 - 10/19

There was an instance of “Oops, I meant 411, not 911.” A rambunctious juvenile found that he could be subdued after all. Someone AWOL from a corrections halfway house allegedly took and damaged a car and was caught and wound up in jail.

These and other matters occupied the time of Port Allegany Police in the week that began Monday, October 13.

Last Monday at 11 a.m. Chief Dave Distrola received a call saying that a car parked on Pine Street in front of the library lacked a registration plate. He told the caller that the car had been stopped by a patrolman on Saturday and the plate had been seized for a violation. Later the owner removed the vehicle.

At 12:01 p.m. Distrola was given a cigarette box that had been found on Comes Creek Road. The person who gave him the box had found it and suspected that it contained marijuana. The matter was referred to Pennsylvania State Police.

At 2 p.m. Officer Tony Tanner served a search warrant at Charles Cole Hospital for medical records related to an assault.

At 6:20 p.m. Tanner received a complaint about a juvenile having taken a cell phone. The phone was located by a parent who used a tracking system.

At 11:47 p.m. Tanner arrested Drexel Connelly, age 50, of Wingate, N.C., on suspicion of DUI on Pine Street. Charges are pending blood test results.

Last Tuesday at 1:24 p.m. Distrola received a report that a student was attempting to sell catnip as marijuana at the Seneca Highlands Career and Technical Center. A field test kit proved that the substance was not pot. The matter was handled by the student’s home school. No charges will be filed.

At 1:45 p.m. Distrola was contacted by a Church Street resident asking if his or her stolen property had been recovered in a search conducted last week. It had not.

At 3:28 p.m. Distrola received a complaint about the theft of a debit card. Investigation revealed that a woman had set up an account in the name of her then-boyfriend in order to access his unemployment money. The male subject indicated that he did not know the password for the account. He was advised to contact the unemployment office and arrange for a new card. The female suspect is a high school student; a parent was notified and advised to return the card.

At 7:53 p.m. Tanner responded to 809 North Main Street where an unwanted person was reported. Tanner advised the unwanted person to leave, and he did.

Last Wednesday at 1:10 a.m. Tanner received a request to perform a welfare check on a person at 211 East Mill Street. A check with a relative of the individual revealed that no one was at home.

At 5:30 p.m. Tanner obtained a signed release for medical records from an inmate at the McKean County Jail in connection with an assault case.

At 6:30 p.m. Tanner attempted to serve an arrest warrant on Anthony Robson on Beers Hollow Road, but was unsuccessful. Robson did appear in the office of Magisterial District Judge William Todd the following day, where he was released on unsecured bail.

Thursday at 7:30 a.m. Distrola was requested to notify a Katherine Street resident that he or she was not required to appear at Todd’s office for a hearing.

At 9 a.m. Distrola received a call from a McKeesport police officer who said a wallet had been turned in there that belongs to a port Allegany resident. The owner was notified of the loss by a parent and was advised to retrieve the property before the officer mailed it home.

At 11:40 a.m. Distrola was contacted by a Port Allegany Health Center staff member that a woman there was complaining that her child’s father was withholding WIC checks. The caller was advised to have the woman contact PSP because the father lives outside the borough.

At 11:30 a.m. Distrola was notified by a concerned citizen that there had been a vehicle crash at the intersection of Route 6 West and Route 155 South. Investigation revealed that a Jeep Liberty operated by Lori Goodrich had been stopped in the westbound lane waiting for clearance to make a left turn onto Route 155 when a Ford Escape operated by Connie Turner, of Coudersport, in the same lane, attempted to pass on the left as Goodrich was making a left turn.

Both vehicles were driven from the scene, initially, but Goodrich later stopped her vehicle due to malfunction. Goodrich also suffered an unknown injury to her left upper arm and sought treatment at Charles Cole Hospital. Turner was cited.

At 3 p.m. Distrola received a report that Tom Martin of Coudersport had lost a Shepherd mix dog between Port Allegany and Coudersport. The dog had been in the rear of his truck and was thought to have jumped out.

At 8:30 p.m. Officer Adam Dickerson was asked to conduct a welfare check on an occupant at 311 Arnold Avenue. It turned out that the subject had dialed 911 when intending to dial 411 for information. The subject was okay.

At 11:20 p.m. Dickerson was requested by the subject’s mother to check on the welfare of a 211 East Mill Street resident. The subject was later found outside the borough and indicated that nothing was amiss.

Friday at 10 a.m. Distrola received a report of the unauthorized use of a motor vehicle. A black 2009 Chevy Cobalt had been stolen in the night from where it was parked in front of 23 Church Street. Later the vehicle was recovered in the Dollar General parking lot.

At 4 p.m. Officer Dickerson was dispatched to Dollar General where a witness saw the car that had been reported stolen in the previous shift. The witness had observed a white male parking the car and running up North Main Street. The black 2009 Chevy Cobalt was found to have a shattered windshield and to smell of alcohol. Anyone with information or knowledge of the matter is asked to contact the police.

At 5:30 p.m. Dickerson assisted PSP in apprehending James Rowe, a male fugitive who was on state parole and had left a halfway house in Erie. Rowe was stopped and questions in connection with the vehicle theft reported above. The subject ran but was captured and jailed on a warrant.

At 5:25 p.m. Dickerson responded to a reported domestic conflict at 68 Pearl Street. A male and a female were arguing in the street. Dickerson advised them to refrain, and to go back inside.

At 6:18 p.m. Dickerson assisted the McKean County Sheriff’s Department with a juvenile who was being removed from a Pearl Street home. The juvenile became defiant. Dickerson assisted in placing him inside the deputies’ car for transport, at the behest of McKean County Children and Youth Services.

Saturday at 12:15 a.m. Dickerson went to Sheetz for a report of an intoxicated male making threats. He arrested Jason Saltsman, 43, of Port Allegany, on suspicion of DUI. Charges await the results of a blood test.

At 9:59 a.m. Officer Colin Strawcutter was dispatched on a report that an erratic driver was coming into town. He located the vehicle at Sheetz, and reported that the driver was not intoxicated but was transporting some Amish persons from Ohio to work in the area, and he was tired.

At 10:17 a.m. Strawcutter received a report that a juvenile was looking for work along North Main Street. The caller indicated that this was the same girl who had falsely claimed to be collecting money for the SPCA, last week.

At 2:45 p.m. Strawcutter unlocked a motor vehicle at Lillibridge Place.

At 10:40 p.m. Dickerson went to a North Main Street residence for what had started as a mental health matter with someone having thoughts of suicide. The subject experienced a seizure. An ambulance was summoned and the individual was transported to Bradford Regional Medical Center.