Category Archives: Police & Fire

According to reports, an Ellwood City man faces felony gun possession charges, resisting arrest, fleeing from police, leaving the scene of an accident, and driving under the influence – all after a minor traffic violation led police on a wild chase early Sunday morning in New Brighton.

Michael McKay, 25, of Crescent Ave., Ellwood City, drove through a stop sign on Seventh Avenue in New Brighton around 2:00am leading police to pursue.  McKay refused to yield or pull over for the following officer, nearly hit a female pedestrian, and struck multiple parked cars.

McKay later abandoned his vehicle and fled on foot.  Police followed snowy footprints and found McKay under a porch on Eighth Avenue.

McKay battled with officers and was struck with a taser multiple times.  Police later found a loaded handgun on the seat of his vehicle and with previous arrests on record made it illegal for him to carry the weapon.

DUI

Ellwood City Police charged Gary John Honneffer, 25, of 165 Portersville Road with DUI on Feb. 26. According to the report, Honneffer ran into a home on Portersville Road. A witness told police he saw Honneffer leaving the scene. The report said that Honneffer returned later with his father and admitted that he was drinking and should not have been driving. Honneffer, according to the report, failed three field sobriety tests. While at the station, the report said that Honneffer refused to take a blood test and asked for his attorney.

Attempted Suicide

Ellwood City Police responded to the report of a male attempting to commit suicide at the trestle behind the Moose Club on Feb. 22. According to the report, the male told police he was having a bad night. Police detained the man and took him to Jameson Hospital for evaluation.

Public Drunkenness

Ellwood City Police charged Herman Ray Mielke, 31, of 826 Pershing Street, with public drunkenness. According to the report, Mielke was laying in the middle of North Street near First Avenue on Feb. 21. Police said he was intoxicated and refused to move. Mielke was put in lock up at the Ellwood City Police Department.

Narcotics Possession

Ellwood City Police arrested and charged Angela Bruno, 24, for possession of narcotics. According to the report, Bruno was inside a parked car at the intersection of Park Avenue and Ninth Street. The officer noticed that the vehicle was protruding into Park Avenue. The officer saw Bruno put her head down so he approached the vehicle and asked for her license. The report said that Bruno pulled out a pack of cigarettes that contained her license, but it also contained a bag of blue pills (which were later confirmed to be 30mg Oxycodone Hydrochloride pills). Police said Bruno claimed that the pills belonged to her friend. According to the report, a check proved that Bruno’s license was expired. The acting officer had the vehicle towed to the police department. According to the report, Bruno signed a form allowing a search of the vehicle. During the search, police reported finding: seven empty heroine stamp bags, one syringe needle, a silver spoon, and a cotton swab. According to the report, Bruno said all of the items were hers except for the syringe. Bruno said, according to the report, that she doesn’t shoot heroine but instead snorts it. The report said Bruno claimed she bought the Oxy pills from a male at a gas station for $250.

Suspected Arson

Ellwood City Police are investigating a case of suspected arson at B&B Express on Lawrence Avenue. According to the report, a dumpster was found on fire on Feb. 20. Employees said they put garbage in the dumpster five minutes before the fire. They said they didn’t notice anyone around the store as they were closing up. The report said the police department plans to check the surveillance tape from nearby Alborn Tire.

Theft

According to police, an unknown actor entered a vehicle parked on Pittsburgh Circle sometime during the night of February 15. The report said the actor took $5 in change and CDs.

Two Franklin Township residents were arrested after police found a suspected meth operation.

Shenango Township police arrested Christine Mesko, 44, of 105 Jackson Way and Jerrold Miller, 46, of 618 Lancaster Road after police noticed the two behaving strangely in a vehicle parked outside a tavern in Shenango Township around 10:30 on February 9.

The department’s police dog indicated the presence of drugs and officers found methamphetamines in the vehicle. A search provided evidence that the vehicle was used as a mobile meth lab.

After the discovery, Shenango officers contactd the U.S. Drug Enforcement Agency’s Meth Lab Team to conduct an investigation on the vehicle.

Mesko and Miller were placed in the Lawrence County Jail on active warrants issued in Beaver County.

Police dismissed a charge against a Mercer County man charged with shooting a child.

According to police, Thomas Edward Grant, 24, of 35, Lightcap Lane, Jackson Center, mistook the child for an animal when he fired his weapon.

Beaver County Judge John P. Dohanich ruled that the charge of aggravated assault cannot be pursued following the filing of a writ of habeas corpus by Grant’s attorney Steven Valsamidis. Valsamidis contents that in order for a charge of aggravated assault to go forward there must be proof of malice.

Grant was also charged by New Sewickley Township police with reckless endangerment and simple assault. According to police, Grant thought he was shooting at a skunk on the night of Oct. 20 at his mother’s house on Brewer Road. Police said he actually was shooting at an 8-year-old girl wearing a black-and-white Halloween costume. The child, according to police, was playing hide-and-seek.

Grant is free on $10,000 bond.

Announcement

Ellwood City Police Chief Mark Romutis said that an Active Shooter Drill will be held Monday at Lincoln High School. The Ellwood City Police department will participate in coordination with the Ellwood City School District.

Harassment

According to a police report, Andy Pounds, 42 of 1585 Lawrence Avenue, was charged with harassment by physical contact after he allegedly hit a woman in the parking lot of Burger King on Lawrence Avenue. The victim told police that she and Pounds had been broken up for two weeks. She said Pounds would not let her out of his pickup truck as they began to argue. The victim told police that Pounds hit her. She said she tried to get out of his truck again and while pushing to get away from Pounds she ripped his shirt. She said she went into Burger King to call police. According to the report, the victim had a lump knot above her forehead and a red lump under her right eye. Police photographed the victim. Later in a phone call, Pounds told police that the woman ripped his shirt and was punching him. Pounds said she kicked his truck and left dents. Pounds never furnished his vehicle to police.

Thefts and Criminal Mischief

Ellwood City Police are urging residents to remove valuables from and to remember to lock parked vehicles after a rash of vehicle breakins and reports of suspicious activity on various streets around Ellwood City. The following incidents happened in the past week:

2-13: An unknown actor took a small folder containing credit cards from an SUV on Third Street. According to the police report, a woman reported hearing dogs barking and when she looked outside she saw a man in his 20s walking down the street.

2-13: Police recieved a report that an unknown actor took a folder containing registration and insurance information from an unlocked truck on Second Street. The victim said it happened sometime during a three-day period.

2-11: Police were dispatched to Center Avenue after receiving a report of two suspicious persons looking into vehicles in the area. The caller said the actors were an unknown white male wearing a white hoodie and an unknown female wearing a blue hoodie. The caller told police he saw the unknown actors looking into the vehicles so he yelled out to them that he was going to call police. The caller said they took off, and he chased them toward Lawrence Avenue before losing them.

2-11: Police received a report that un unknown actor went through an unlocked vehicle parked on the side of a residence on Third Avenue.

2-11: According to a police report, an unknown actor stole a wallet, credit card, and drivers license from a car in the Ellwood City Hopital parking lot.

2-11: An unknown actor, according to police, stole a registration card and insurance information sometime during the night from a car on Franklin Avenue.

2-11: According to a police report, vehicles were broken into on Crescent and Third but nothing was reported missing.

2-11: Change was stolen from a vehicle on Fifth Street, according to a police report.

Criminal Mischief

According to a police report, a man was sleeping in his home on Wayne Avenue on Feb. 10 when he heard the rattling of his backdoor. The victim told police that just as he made his way downstairs the unknown actor was fled the scene in a dark black pickup truck. The report said the unknown actor drove away eastbound and that the victim was not able to offer a description.

According to a police report, tires were slashed at a residence on Beechwood Blvd. on Feb. 10

Theft

According to a police report, a theft of $200 worth of merchandise took place at Game Zone, 512 Lawrence Avenue. The owner of the store told police that the actors were captured on tape removing the items.