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Police & Fire
Dirt Biker, 26, Killed In Reading Crash Dirt Biker, 26, Killed In Reading Crash
Dirt Biker, 26, Killed In Reading Crash A 26-year-old dirt bike operator died in a crash over Memorial Day Weekend, police in Reading said. Officers were called to North Grace Street and Lancaster Avenue around 11:30 p.m. Sunday, May 28, where the dirt bike and a vehicle collided, Reading spokeswoman Maritza Loaiza said. The 26-year-old dirt bike operator was being treated by EMS when police arrived. He was taken to Reading Hospital, where he was pronounced dead.

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by Cecilia Levine
Police & Fire
Stepdad Shot In Gunfight With Stepson: Reading Police Stepdad Shot In Gunfight With Stepson: Reading Police
Stepdad Shot In Gunfight With Stepson: Reading Police A Reading man was hospitalized after a shootout with his stepson late Sunday morning, city police wrote in a release.  It happened just before noon on May 21, on the 300 block of Bridge Street, the department said. Authorities believe the stepdad "initiated the confrontation," but added that both men "appeared to have fired shots at each other." The stepdad was shot multiple times and was being treated at Reading Hospital as of Sunday night, according to police. No other injuries were reported by officials.  Police did not name the men but said criminal charges are pending. 

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by Mac Bullock
Police & Fire
Burglar Sentenced For Home Invasion Murder Of 'Hero' Pottstown Teen Burglar Sentenced For Home Invasion Murder Of 'Hero' Pottstown Teen
Burglar Sentenced For Home Invasion Murder Of 'Hero' Pottstown Teen An accomplice in the botched 2017 Pottstown home invasion that killed 17-year-old David Doyle III will spend the next several decades in prison, a Chester County judge has ruled.  Juan "Coco" Ortiz-Encarnacion, 31, of Reading, was sentenced to 15 to 30 years behind bars after pleading guilty to third-degree murder, conspiracy, and robbery, said Chester County District Attorney Deb Ryan's Office in a release.  "Coco" joined Jonathan Malave and Ricardo Rivera on Sept. 24, 2017, to rob a home on Worth Boulevard where they "believed there were drugs and money inside," t…

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by Mac Bullock
Police & Fire
Gunman Set Own House On Fire, Shot First Responders: Chesco DA Gunman Set Own House On Fire, Shot First Responders: Chesco DA
Gunman Set Own House On Fire, Shot First Responders: Chesco DA The man who allegedly shot at state police during a Chester County house fire is now charged with attempted murder, and authorities believe he set the blaze himself.  Nicholas Valenti, 59, was shot and wounded by troopers at his burning home on rural Isabella Road in West Nantmeal Township on April 3, Daily Voice has reported.  State police said they heard gunshots as they approached the fire, and saw Valenti "standing in the driveway holding a firearm" when they got close. After he "failed to obey verbal commands," a trooper shot him with a rifle, the agency claimed.  …

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by Mac Bullock
Police & Fire
Troopers Shot Armed Man At Scene Of Chesco House Fire, DA Says Troopers Shot Armed Man At Scene Of Chesco House Fire, DA Says
Troopers Shot Armed Man At Scene Of Chesco House Fire, DA Says A man is in "critical but stable condition" after he was shot by state troopers at the scene of a house fire in Chester County late on Monday, April 3, prosecutors say.  It started at 7:30 p.m., when first responders were called to a residential blaze on rural Isabella Road in West Nantmeal Township, said the Chester County District Attorney's Office in a statement.  Among the agencies to respond was the Pennsylvania State Police, who noted the home was "fully engulfed in flames" when they arrived, the DA's Office continued.  As troopers made their way toward the burning hom…

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by Mac Bullock
Police & Fire
West Reading Explosion: Death Toll Rises As Street Closures Announced West Reading Explosion: Death Toll Rises As Street Closures Announced
West Reading Explosion: Death Toll Rises As Street Closures Announced As investigators work to uncover the cause of the deadly explosion at a chocolate factory that rocked West Reading on Friday, authorities are shutting down affected streets until further notice.  RM Palmer chocolate factory on South 2nd Avenue erupted in a fiery blast at around 5 p.m. on March 24, Daily Voice reported. At a press conference late on Sunday, March 26, West Reading Police Chief Wayne Holben announced that two more victims had been located, bringing the death toll to seven.  One person was found alive in the rubble on Friday night, while at least ten victims were hosp…

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by Mac Bullock
Police & Fire
Five Dead, At Least Three Missing In RM Palmer Chocolate Factory Explosion (UPDATE) Five Dead, At Least Three Missing In RM Palmer Chocolate Factory Explosion (UPDATE)
Five Dead, At Least Three Missing In RM Palmer Chocolate Factory Explosion (Update) Authorities confirmed five people dead with at least three more unaccounted for in the fiery explosion at West Reading's RM Palmer chocolate factory Friday, March 24. One person was found alive in the rubble on Friday night, officials said at a press conference Sunday morning, March 26. Two more people were found dead on Sunday morning, March 26, police said. Residents reported hearing the explosion around 5 p.m., bringing dozens of fire companies to the scene. At least ten victims were hospitalized at Reading Hospital, a spokesperson tells the New York Times. Videos circulating on social…

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by Cecilia Levine
Police & Fire
Suspect Charged In Berks County Stabbing Suspect Charged In Berks County Stabbing
Suspect Charged In Berks County Stabbing A West Lawn man faces criminal charges in connection with a reported stabbing, authorities say.  Spring Township police were called to Reading Hospital just after midnight on Monday, March 20 after emergency dispatchers were told that a person had been stabbed, the department said in a release.  Marcel William Darienzo, 27, was charged with felony aggravated assault with an attempt to cause bodily injury with a deadly weapon, police said. Court records show he is also charged with reckless endangerment, simple assault, and harassment — all misdemeanors.  Darienzo was re…

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by Mac Bullock
Police & Fire
Reading Man Shot During Street Fight, Cops Say Reading Man Shot During Street Fight, Cops Say
Reading Man Shot During Street Fight, Cops Say A fight on a Reading street ended with gunfire late Wednesday afternoon, authorities say.  It happened on the 300 block of South 8th Street at around 4:30 p.m. on Feb. 22, the department wrote in a release. Officers arrived on the scene to find a 22-year-old man suffering from multiple gunshot wounds, they said.  The unnamed victim was rushed to Reading Hospital for treatment, but his condition was unclear. Police did not report any arrests but said that "all involved parties have been identified" and that there is no ongoing threat to public safety.  Anyone with inform…

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by Mac Bullock
Police & Fire
Stolen Vehicle Crashes During Reading Street Chase: Police Stolen Vehicle Crashes During Reading Street Chase: Police
Stolen Vehicle Crashes During Reading Street Chase: Police One man sits in a Berks County jail cell after authorities say he crashed a stolen vehicle into a family's car during a police chase in Reading.  Officers were on patrol near 9th and Penn streets at about 5 p.m. on Thursday, Feb. 1 when they noticed a Volkswagen Jetta that was reported as stolen in Chester County, Reading police said in a statement.  The driver of the Volkswagen fled before police could pull him over, traveling north up 9th Street before heading east on Washington Street, the department wrote. The chase came to an end when the driver rammed into an occupied car on…

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by Mac Bullock
News
Twenty PA Hospitals Named Among America's Best In New Report Twenty PA Hospitals Named Among America's Best In New Report
Twenty PA Hospitals Named Among America's Best In New Report Twenty Pennsylvania hospitals earned a spot in America’s 250 Best Hospitals list for 2023 by Healthgrades.com. The rankings are based on procedure performance, potential risks, predicted outcomes and comparing those predictive outcomes to actual outcomes. You can read more about their methodology here. The following hospitals ranked in the top 50 nationwide. These "are in the top 1% of hospitals in the nation for consistently providing overall clinical excellence across a broad spectrum of conditions and procedures year over year." This ranking means these PA hospitals are the top four in t…

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by Jillian Pikora
Police & Fire
13-Year-Old Killed In Reading Fire, Officials Say 13-Year-Old Killed In Reading Fire, Officials Say
13-Year-Old Killed In Reading Fire, Officials Say An early morning fire in Reading has left a 13-year-old girl dead and a 64-year-old man seriously injured, authorities have announced.  Fire officials were called to the 600 block of Summit Avenue at about 4 a.m. on Saturday, Jan. 21 for a reported structure fire, the department said in a release.  Firefighters located both victims inside the home, authorities wrote. The man was rushed to Reading Hospital where he remains in critical condition, while the girl was pronounced dead at the scene. Her identity was not reported. The cause of the blaze is under investigation, officials …

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by Mac Bullock