Renatta Signorini stories, Page 54
West Newton police officer reports being shocked with Taser during fight with suspect
A West Newton police officer reported in court papers being hit by his own Taser during a fight with a shirtless and shoeless suspect in the street Tuesday night. Police said Joseph Samuel Babilya, 31, of West Newton was under the influence of drugs. He was being held on $100,000...
2 Derry area men accused of assaulting teen
Two men are accused of sexually assaulting a 13-year-old girl during separate incidents at Derry Manor Apartments and in an Uber from the apartment building to a motel room, according to court papers. Bail was set at $100,000 each for Christopher R. Fraser, 19, of Derry Township, and Ethan S....
Indiana County man arrested after allegedly arranging payment for sex with 12-year-old girl
A man is being held without bail at the Westmoreland County Prison after agents from the state Attorney General’s office said he set up a meeting to pay for sex with a 12-year-old girl through online communication with a person who he believed was the girl’s mother. Anthony R. Laughard,...
Developer seeks help for former Monsour hospital site in Jeannette
Colony Holding Cos. is enlisting the help of another firm in an effort to bring tenants to the former Monsour Medical Center property in Jeannette. The Route 30 parcel has sat empty since 2017 following a $2 million demolition project. Don Tarosky Jr., whose company purchased the property for $2.1...
Police say Greensburg man sold drugs to undercover trooper 3 times in 8 days
A Greensburg man was jailed Friday after state police said he sold heroin/fentanyl to an undercover trooper three times in eight days. Tywan David, 25, who also has an address in East Pittsburgh, was charged with drug offenses in three cases. His cumulative bail was set at $225,000. According to...
McKeesport man faces stalking, harassment charges
Text messages reportedly sent to a Westmoreland County Children’s Bureau caseworker have landed a McKeesport man in trouble with police. Westmoreland County detectives on Wednesday charged Dirk M. Mayernik, 48, with stalking and harassment. The caseworker reported to authorities May 26 that she received concerning messages from Mayernik, who is...
Murrysville woman accused of stealing $30K in jewelry from cleaning client
A Murrysville woman who owns a cleaning business is accused by police of stealing $30,000 worth of jewelry from a client. About half of the items were returned. Holly Lynn Simpson, 48, was arrested Wednesday on charges of theft and receiving stolen property. She is free on $15,000 unsecured bail....
Jeannette rental inspections would jump from 2-year minimum to 10 years under proposed ordinance
A revamped ordinance governing rental properties in Jeannette could go into effect this summer if council gives it a final approval next week. The new guidelines would lessen the burden on city officials who conduct inspections of an estimated 4,000 rental units. Fire Chief Bill Frye, who does most of...
Monessen man who possessed child pornography sentenced to 8 years in prison
A Monessen man was sentenced Wednesday to eight years in a federal prison for having child pornography. Robert Haggerty, 63, was ordered to spend five years on supervised release after the prison term, according to federal prosecutors. Investigators said Haggerty had 92 images and eight videos of child pornography. He...
Official says fireworks caused Penn Township blaze
A state police fire marshal determined fireworks caused a house fire in Penn Township on Monday night, Trooper Steve Limani said. There was minor damage to the home on Dolly Avenue, said Harrison City Volunteer Fire Department Chief Gene Good. Crews were called there after 10 p.m. Siding on the...
Pools in West Newton, Sewickley Township delay openings
Two public pools in Westmoreland County are delayed in opening up to swimmers this year. A renovation at the West Newton Community Pool and staffing and leak issues at Crabapple Community Pool in Sewickley Township prompted both to miss their typical opening dates around Memorial Day. But officials in both...
Monessen woman charged in Westmoreland courthouse bomb threat
A Monessen woman accused of threatening a Westmoreland County judge and children’s bureau employees was charged Tuesday with making a bomb threat at the Greensburg courthouse. Precious Gantt, 39, is facing two counts of terroristic threats and a single charge of bomb threats. Westmoreland County Park Police said Gantt called...
Jeannette man jailed on drugs, weapons charges
A Jeannette man was denied bail Friday after state police said they found three guns, methamphetamine and cocaine in a bedroom at his apartment, according to court papers. Tyreese O. Warring, 35, is charged with drug and weapons offenses. Troopers served a search warrant at Warring’s Clay Avenue home around...
Younger generation needed to help Jeannette honor guard with ‘sacred’ day
The somber notes of taps floated through Jeannette backyards Monday morning. A couple of residents came out of their homes near a tombstone marking the 1836 burial place of Revolutionary War soldier Henry Allshouse in what is now an alley off Margaret Street, feet from a swimming pool. “This day...
Ohiopyle’s other side: Fewer than 30 people live in borough dwarfed by state park
As business owners, Pam Kruse, Mark McCarty and Rob Joseph love how the magnetism of Ohiopyle draws dollars to town. There’s the Ohiopyle that everybody sees: a recreation mecca with sought-after whitewater rafting, a bicycling trail built for short trips and dayslong challenges, hiking and mountain biking trails hidden in...
Jeannette seeking support for canine unit grant application
Jeannette Police Department is hoping for some help from the community to win a grant to benefit its canine units. The department is in the running to receive a grant from crime scene clean up company Aftermath. The winner will be based on vote totals online and through social media....
Jeannette woman accused of faking abduction may owe $11,500 for emergency response
A Jeannette woman accused by police of faking her own abduction could enter a probationary program that includes the possibility of paying nearly $11,500 in restitution for costs related to the massive, hourslong search for her. Chloe Stein, 23, waived her right to a preliminary hearing Thursday after attorneys negotiated...
Vanderbilt woman arrested after drug sting at Rostraver gas station
A Fayette County woman was jailed this week after she received a half pound of crystal methamphetamine from an undercover officer in Rostraver with the intent of taking it to an apparent drug dealer, according to court papers. Kylee J. Moore, 21, of Vanderbilt is facing drug and conspiracy charges....
Monessen woman accused of threatening judge, children’s bureau arrested in Washington, D.C.
A Monessen woman charged this month with threatening Westmoreland County Children’s Bureau employees and now accused of threatening a Westmoreland County judge has been arrested in Washington, D.C., police say. Precious L. Gantt, 39, was arrested by the Metro Police Department after it received a copy of a warrant obtained...
Sobriety checkpoints planned in Belle Vernon, Uniontown over Memorial Day weekend
Troopers at two state police stations are planning sobriety checkpoints during the Memorial Day holiday weekend. Police in the Belle Vernon and Uniontown stations said in news releases this week that they are going to be on the lookout for impaired drivers, but didn’t say where exactly. Troopers from the...
Volunteers sought for Five Star Trail mural update
A connection made at the Greensburg ArtsWalk and a stroll on the Five Star Trail gave Natalie Dobrick a great idea. Could an artist she met at the event update a mural painted more than 20 years ago in a tunnel on the trail near Lynch Field in Greensburg? She...
Rostraver man jailed, accused of rape
A Rostraver man is accused by police of raping a woman at a township apartment building. Jerry F. Griest, 62, was jailed Friday on charges of rape, involuntary deviate sexual intercourse and related offenses. Township police said a woman reported being raped by Griest in her apartment in late August...
Behind the art: ‘Vision of St. Jerome’ depicts Judgement Day
(Editor’s note: Behind the Art is a recurring series highlighting artistic works throughout the county.) One of the most significant paintings in the collection at St. Vincent College’s art gallery was donated by King Ludwig I of Bavaria in the 1850s. “The Vision of St. Jerome” was shipped to the...
Hearing set on whether Century III should be condemned
A condemnation hearing has been set for June 14 in West Mifflin to examine the condition of the former Century III Mall. Borough officials will take testimony from the building inspector and property owner of the mall that closed in 2019 and its state of disrepair. Findings from the 4:30...
Police say Unity man sexually assaulted young girl over 7 years
Pennsylvania State Police said a Unity man was arrested Wednesday for sexually assaulting a young girl over a seven-year span. Police said Clarence J. Wallace, 74, was first accused in May 2022, with the victim telling police she was between 8 and 14 when they happened, according to court papers....
