Tuesday, April 23, 2013
Bethel Park police charged Frank Zahler, 70 with three felonies Sunday.
The Bethel Park Police Department has charged a Castle Shannon man with making terroristic threats, threatening to use a weapon of mass destruction and causing or risking a catastrophe following a bomb threat at South Hills Village Sunday. All of the charges against Frank Zahler, 70, are felonies. Zahler is accused of making a bomb threat at the Barnes & Noble at South Hills Village Sunday night and reportedly blames his arrest on "hoity, toity kids," according to the AP. Police say he asked some other customers to watch his briefcase and joked it contained some explosives relating to the Boston Marathon. The customers alerted the manager, who then called police. The Bethel Park police evacuated the mall, the movie theater and surrounding …
Monday, April 22, 2013
The suspect is a 70-year-old man from Castle Shannon.
A Castle Shannon man accused of making a bomb threat at the Barnes & Noble at South Hills Village Sunday night blames his arrest on "hoity, toity kids," according to the AP. Police say Frank Zahler, 70, asked some other customers to watch his briefcase and joked it contained some explosives relating to the Boston Marathon. The customers alerted the manager, who then called police. The Bethel Park police evacuated the mall, the movie theater and surrounding restaurants. "In my day, we would have laughed it off, you know? There's no hope," Zahler told reporters, according to the AP. The image of Zahler comes from WPXI.
Sunday, April 21, 2013
A witness tells Patch he saw a man get taken into custody at Red Robin.
Bethel Park police evacuated South Hills Village mall, Carmike 10 and surrounding restaurants Sunday night after a man claimed he had bomb-making material in his briefcase. South Hills Village released the following statement at 10:30 p.m. Sunday: The local authorities have confirmed that there is no longer a threat, and the mall is now safe for our customers, tenants and employees. We will re-open for business tomorrow at 10 a.m., regular business hours. A man went into Barnes & Noble around 6:15 p.m. Sunday and stated he had bomb-making material in his briefcase. Two customers overheard the 70-year-old man and called police, according to WTAE. The man left and went into Red Robin, where customers said he was acting strangely. Jeremy …
Friday, April 19, 2013
George Retos has been charged with three counts of theft—all felonies.
Peters Township police this week charged a Washington businessman with theft by unlawful taking, theft by deception and theft by failing to make the required deposits. All three counts against George Retos, 63, are felonies, according to online court records. The charges stem from an August incident, according to court dockets. According to the Observer-Reporter newspaper, Retos allegedly failed to repay $87,000 he received via checks from his girlfriend’s mother. Retos was arraigned before district Judge Valarie Costanzo Tuesday night. He was released on $50,000 unsecured bond. He is scheduled to appear before district Judge James Ellis at 2 p.m. May 7 for a preliminary hearing.
Wednesday, April 17, 2013
Less than 30 grams of marijuana were found during a traffic stop this past weekend.
Peters Township Police Department is charging Kevin Boyd Woodhouse Jr. with possession of a small amount of marijuana, driving without a license, and driving without the proper emissions inspection. The charges, which will proceed by summons, stem from a traffic stop in the 3100 block of Washington Road around 9:15 p.m. Saturday. Peters police said an officer noticed that the vehicle, Woodhouse, no address given, was driving had tinted windows, and initiated a traffic stop for that reason. Woodhouse will also be cited for the tinted windows. However, asked for his driver's license, Woodhouse said he didn't have one. He instead presented the officer with a state identification card. It was later determined that Woodhouse's license had been …
Friday, April 12, 2013
Gary McLaughlin was the father of a former Peters Township Fire Department fire captain.
The membership of the Peters Township Volunteer Fire Department and the Veterans of Foreign Wars Post 764 have established a relief fund in memory of R. Gary McLaughlin, who died as a result of his injuries in a fire in his home on Easter morning. Gary was a lifelong member of the VFW Post 764 serving in many positions up to and including commander of the post. Gary served in the Air Force during the Korean Force during the Korean conflict. His wife, Phyllis, is also involved in the VFW Post 764 Women’s Auxiliary. Gary’s son, the late Michael McLaughlin Sr., spent 25 years with the Peters Township Fire Department serving many positions including fire captain, and is a life member of the department. Mike was best known to thousands of local…
Wednesday, April 10, 2013
The project is expected to last 14 months, township officials indicated.
In a special report given to Peters Township Council this week, officials said the closing of Valleybrook road for improvements will cause a "significant" impact on area businesses and residences. "The change in traffic patterns will impact signal timing, need for additional stop signs and directional signs, coordination with emergency services and the school district, as well as additional police traffic enforcement," according to a letter to council. Access to Washington Road from Valleybrook will be totally eliminated. For more on the project, click here.
Tuesday, April 9, 2013
Some of the baseball team players will be disciplined, according to a report.
Some Peters Township High School baseball players accused of throwing a bottle at a passing vehicle while riding on a bus are being disciplined, according to WPXI. The report states that the team was riding on Interstate 79 when a passing vehicle alerted authorities that they were hit by a bottle thrown by a passenger on the bus. Police officers were waiting for the bus when it returned to school and they questioned the team, according to the report. The students involved are facing disciplinary actions from the school and from the team, according to WPXI.
Monday, April 8, 2013
Be careful if you are driving in the 1000 block of state Route 19.
A vehicle crash with entrapment in the 1000 block of state Route 19 in Peters Township happened Monday afternoon, a Washington County 911 supervisor confirmed. First responders said the crash happened near South Hills Jeep just after 3:40 p.m. Monday. Drivers are asked to be cautious while traveling in the area. No further information was immediately available as of 3:45 p.m. Monday.
Friday, April 5, 2013
Four men from Washington County face drug charges after Bridgeville police said they caught one of them urinating in a borough parking lot. Read about that and other crime news in the weekly Bridgeville police blotter.
Four Washington County men face drug charges after Bridgeville police said they caught one of them urinating in a borough parking lot. Police said they were patrolling the area around Castaway’s Bar in the early hours of March 24 when officers saw a man urinating in a nearby parking lot. While investigating, police said they found marijuana and suspected cocaine in and around the car. Police said they arrested Kevin Brooks, 39, of Eighty Four, Geoffrey Brown, 29, of Washington, Homer Thomas Jr., 34, of Canonsburg, and Frankie Yarbrough, 38, of Canonsburg. Each of them faces one charge of possession of a controlled substance. Brooks faces additional charges of drug possession with intent to deliver and disorderly conduct. The four men were …
John Jahigglewitz
12:16 am on Friday, May 3, 2013
"Hoity..Toity kids". That sounds like how my old grandmother used to speak when she would tell us stories about growing up in Blawnox. I love her dialect and her sense of fashion. more ›