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Hamburg, PA

PA State Trooper Peter Conforti Dies: 'Beautiful Human' PA State Trooper Peter Conforti Dies: 'Beautiful Human'
PA State Trooper Peter Conforti Dies: 'Beautiful Human' The Pennsylvania State Police Department has announced the death of Trooper Peter K. Conforti. On Thursday, Aug. 1, the department said Conforti, who had been assigned to Troop L in Hamburg, died while off-duty. Conforti enlisted in the PSP in April 2016. Records show he was 30 years old and lived in Tamaqua. Condolences from loved ones shared to Facebook say he leaves behind his wife, Alexandra, and at least one child. Many years ago, I started teaching at West Penn Elementary with some very special students. One, however, stood out to... Posted by Michele Bittner on Thursd…
Cheer For These 35 Pennsylvania Athletes Representing Team USA At Paris Olympics Cheer For These 35 Pennsylvania Athletes Representing Team USA At Paris Olympics
Cheer For These 35 Pennsylvania Athletes Representing Team USA At Paris Olympics We're days away from the Paris Olympics, and several of Pennsylvania fittest and most athletic residents will be there. A whopping 35 athletes from Pennsylvania have qualified for the Olympics and are ready to make their run at the gold when events kick off Friday, July 26. They are: David Abrahams, of Havertown: Para Swimming Justin Best, of Kennett Square: Rowing Kahleah Copper, of Philadelphia: Basketball Emma Deberdine, of Millersville: Field Hockey Brooke Debredine, of Millersville: Field Hockey Casey Eichfeld, of Drums: Canoe/Kayak Phia Gladieux, of Oley: Field Hockey Michael G…
Berks Grandparents, Granddaughter In Minnesota RV Crash Face Long Road To Recovery: Fund Berks Grandparents, Granddaughter In Minnesota RV Crash Face Long Road To Recovery: Fund
Berks Grandparents, Granddaughter In Minnesota RV Crash Face Long Road To Recovery: Fund Three Pennsylvania residents face a long road to recovery after their RV crashed in Minnesota on July 11, according to loved ones on GoFundMe. Bill and Kim Byassee, of Hamburg, and their granddaughter Abby all suffered "life-threatening injuries" in a wreck on Interstate 90, reported Minnesota outlet KIMT. All three were airlifted to a trauma center in Rochester for treatment, while two people in the other vehicle suffered minor injuries, according to the report.  "Abby was thrown from the RV and lost all feeling in her limbs," wrote GoFundMe organizer Kelsea Didden. "By a miracle…
Passenger Ejected, Seriously Injured In Berks County Crash On I-78 (UPDATED) Passenger Ejected, Seriously Injured In Berks County Crash On I-78 (UPDATED)
Passenger Ejected, Seriously Injured In Berks County Crash On I-78 (Updated) Authorities have released additional details in the Interstate 78 crash that shut down a large stretch of the highway on Monday, July 1.  The multi-vehicle wreck happened near mile marker 31 in Hamburg, state police said in a release.  A tractor-trailer was headed west in a work zone when it hit the center concrete barrier, troopers said. The collision knocked part of the barrier into oncoming traffic, where the concrete pieces were struck by another tractor-trailer and a Hyundai Santa Fe, according to crash investigators.  The Hyundai rolled onto its roof and one of the pas…
Pedestrian Dies After Berks County Crash: Coroner Pedestrian Dies After Berks County Crash: Coroner
Pedestrian Dies After Berks County Crash: Coroner A pedestrian died from her injuries after being struck by a car in Hamburg, officials say.  Alicia Barlip, 44, was hit near South Fourth Street and Pine Street on June 4, said the Lehigh County Coroner's Office.  She was taken to Lehigh Valley Hospital-Bethlehem where she died from blunt force trauma on Thursday, June 13, officials said. Her death was ruled accidental.  Hamburg Borough Police Department and the Berks County District Attorney's Office are investigating. 
Dog Shot With BB Gun In Berks County: PSP Dog Shot With BB Gun In Berks County: PSP
Dog Shot With BB Gun In Berks County: PSP State police are investigating a case of animal cruelty in Berks County.  Someone shot a 4-year-old Labrador retriever mix with a BB gun, troopers said. X-ray imaging showed the dog was hit in the front-left section of its body, according to police.  Authorities said it happened sometime between Jan. 25 and Feb. 7 on the 400 block of Steven Drive in Windsor Township.  Anyone with information is being asked to call troopers in Hamburg at 610-562-6885 or text "ALERTBERKS" to 847411 to submit an anonymous tip. Tipsters could be eligible for a cash reward. 
Pair Hurt In Shooting Incident At Berks County Bar, Say State Police Pair Hurt In Shooting Incident At Berks County Bar, Say State Police
Pair Hurt In Shooting Incident At Berks County Bar, Say State Police First responders were called to a bar in Hamburg early Sunday morning after two people were struck by gunfire, according to state police.  It happened at Pappy T's Pub and Lounge, 50 Industrial Drive, around 1 a.m. on Nov. 12, said troopers.  Thirty-seven-year-old Thomas Fronina took out a .380-caliber handgun to show another bar patron and "discharged a single round towards the floor," police said.  A 43-year-old woman was hit in the leg and taken to Reading Hospital with non-life-threatening injuries, while a 45-year-old man was hit in the ankle with a bullet fragment…
Thieves Stole 580 Gallons Of Diesel From PA Truck Stop, Say Troopers Thieves Stole 580 Gallons Of Diesel From PA Truck Stop, Say Troopers
Thieves Stole 580 Gallons Of Diesel From PA Truck Stop, Say Troopers Two New Jersey men are accused of stealing hundreds of gallons of diesel fuel in a string of heists at a Berks County truck stop.  Dariel M. Vizcaino, 31, and Dagoberto M. Sosa, 32, are each charged with retail theft and related counts, said state troopers in a release.  Authorities believe the pair took 580 gallons of diesel — or $2,780 worth of fuel — during three separate robberies at the Love's Truck Stop in Hamburg.  Investigators say they used a box truck fitted with 150-gallon saddlebag fuel tanks to haul the diesel away. They also had a "false front" instal…
Auburn Man Raped Berks Teen At Knifepoint On Her Way To School, Jury Finds Auburn Man Raped Berks Teen At Knifepoint On Her Way To School, Jury Finds
Auburn Man Raped Berks Teen At Knifepoint On Her Way To School, Jury Finds A man who was accused of raping a Reading teenager at knifepoint while she walked to school last spring is guilty, a Berks County jury has ruled.  Sean Samuels, now 39, of Auburn, was convicted of rape and related offenses on Wednesday, June 7, District Attorney John T. Adams' Office said in a release.  It happened around 8 a.m. on March 16 of last year, Daily Voice reported.  The victim, a 14-year-old girl, told police she was walking to school on the 1200 block of Hill Road when she was abducted at knifepoint, taken to another location, and sexually assaulted twice.  readingReading …
'Operation Special Delivery': Berks Crew Smuggled $4M Of Cocaine Through The Mail, Police Say 'Operation Special Delivery': Berks Crew Smuggled $4M Of Cocaine Through The Mail, Police Say
'Operation Special Delivery': Berks Crew Smuggled $4M Of Cocaine Through The Mail, Police Say A dozen people face criminal charges in connection with an ongoing scheme to mail cocaine from Puerto Rico to Berks County, according to authorities.  During the course of "Operation Special Delivery," a task force of Berks detectives and federal agents seized roughly $4 million worth of cocaine from 19 packages sent through the US Postal Service, said county authorities in a release.  Eleven of the 12 suspects are currently in police custody, detectives said.  The investigation began last August when the Postal Inspector's Office found "kilogram quantities" of cocaine being regularly shi…
Serial Retail Burglar Strikes In Berks County, Police Say Serial Retail Burglar Strikes In Berks County, Police Say
Serial Retail Burglar Strikes In Berks County, Police Say A suspected serial burglar robbed a Berks County hardware store in what police say is his 15th theft from area retailers.  It happened on Thursday, Feb. 16 at around 1 a.m., Caernarvon Township police said in a statement.  The suspect pulled into the Lowe's at 340 Crossings Blvd., walked behind the store, and stole a Craftsman Zero Turn Lawn Mower, they continued. The same model lawn mower is valued at $3,099 on Lowe's website.  Investigators believe the same man is responsible for no less than 14 similar thefts at Lowe's locations throughout the region, inclu…
Berks Teen Who Stabbed Boy During Fight Booked On Attempted Murder: Report Berks Teen Who Stabbed Boy During Fight Booked On Attempted Murder: Report
Berks Teen Who Stabbed Boy During Fight Booked On Attempted Murder: Report A Berks County teenager faces attempted murder charges for stabbing another during a fight at a park, according to police documents originally obtained by WFMZ.  Steven Oritz, 17, of Perry Township, stabbed a 16-year-old boy in the chest and arm during a fight at a park in Hamburg, according to the report.  The victim was in the intensive care unit at Lehigh Valley Hospital-Cedar Crest as of Tuesday, Nov. 29, police told the outlet.  State court records show Ortiz is charged as an adult with attempted murder, attempt to cause serious injury, and aggravated assault — all…
Elderly Berks Man Scammed Out Of $194K On Facebook: Police Elderly Berks Man Scammed Out Of $194K On Facebook: Police
Elderly Berks Man Scammed Out Of $194K On Facebook: Police A Berks County man was defrauded out of more than $194,000 of dollars by a scammer on Facebook, according to authorities.  The victim, a 65-year-old Hamburg resident, was befriended on the social networking site by a user posting under the name Sharon Bobby, state police said in a release. Over a period of weeks, investigators said the scammer worked to earn the victim's trust before asking his help to "pay for the release of a large amount of gold as an inheritance from her late father in the United Kingdom," officials wrote.  "Through many months of communication through text m…
PA Boy Battling Brain Cancer Dies Day After 6th Birthday, Family Says PA Boy Battling Brain Cancer Dies Day After 6th Birthday, Family Says
PA Boy Battling Brain Cancer Dies Day After 6th Birthday, Family Says A Pennsylvania community is mourning the death of a boy who tragically lost his battle with brain cancer on Thursday, Sept. 22 — just one day after his sixth birthday. On the morning of Ryder Knechtle's birthday celebration, he was fine. Like any other child, he loved to play games, read his favorite book, and even watch "Peppa Pig" with his family.  But as the hours passed, he began to feel different. "Around 1:00 he started to crash," the boy's mom, Jenna Knechtle, wrote on GoFundMe and Facebook. **Last Treatment Update** My beautiful baby is now an angel. A beautiful angel in Hea…
Box Truck Rear-Ends School Bus In Hamburg: Report Box Truck Rear-Ends School Bus In Hamburg: Report
Box Truck Rear-Ends School Bus In Hamburg: Report A box truck rear-ended a school bus in Hamburg, WFMZ reports. The school bus carrying three summer campers was hit by the box truck on South Fourth Street at Hawk Ridge Drive around 10 a.m. Friday, Aug. 19, the outlet says. Though the driver and children were taken to a hospital for evaluation, no serious injuries were reported in the crash, according to the outlet. Click here for more from WFMZ.
DNA Evidence Leads To Killer In 34-Year-Old Cold Case In Berks County DNA Evidence Leads To Killer In 34-Year-Old Cold Case In Berks County
DNA Evidence Leads To Killer In 34-Year-Old Cold Case In Berks County A now-deceased man has been identified as the suspect who killed a 26-year-old woman 34 years ago in Berks County, authorities said. With new advances in genetic genealogy, investigators were able to identify Scott Grim, who died of natural causes at the age of 58 in 2018, as the man who beat and strangled Anna Jean Kane to death and dumped her body alongside Ontelaunee Trail Road in Perry Township, Pennsylvania State Police said. She was last seen on Franklin Street and South 6th Street in Reading at around 1 a.m. Oct. 23, 1988, police said. The DNA evidence found on the Birdsboro wo…
Man Who Hurt Woman In Hamburg Dies Of Self-Inflicted Gunshot Wound, Police Say Man Who Hurt Woman In Hamburg Dies Of Self-Inflicted Gunshot Wound, Police Say
Man Who Hurt Woman In Hamburg Dies Of Self-Inflicted Gunshot Wound, Police Say A man has died by suicide after he injured a woman in Hamburg (Berks County), authorities said. Officers responded to the 400 block of State Street around 8:30 p.m. Thursday, June 16 on a report of a domestic assault, Hamburg Police Chief Anthony Kuklinski said. When the cops went inside the location, the man fled upstairs. Then they heard a gunshot and discovered him dead from a self-inflicted gunshot wound, the chief said. The woman police say he hurt remains hospitalized with facial injuries. Further details about the incident and the pair's identities have not been revealed.
Fingerprint Helps ID Man Accused Of Raping Teen Girl Walking To School In Reading Fingerprint Helps ID Man Accused Of Raping Teen Girl Walking To School In Reading
Fingerprint Helps ID Man Accused Of Raping Teen Girl Walking To School In Reading A fingerprint was key in identifying and arresting a man who is now charged with the rape of a teenage girl at knifepoint in Reading, authorities said. The 14-year-old girl told police that she was walking to school on the 1200 block of Hill Road when she was abducted, taken to another location, and sexually assaulted twice, around 8:30 a.m. on Wednesday, March 16, Reading Police Chief Richard Tornielli said. Thanks in part to a fingerprint, police identified the suspect as 38-year-old Sean Samuels, of Auburn, the chief said. DNA evidence is still pending. He was arrested on Tuesday, …
U.S Marshals Capture Man Accused Of Assaulting Berks Family Over 'Stolen' Parking Space U.S Marshals Capture Man Accused Of Assaulting Berks Family Over 'Stolen' Parking Space
U.S Marshals Capture Man Accused Of Assaulting Berks Family Over 'Stolen' Parking Space A Pennsylvania man wanted on assault charges for berating a Berks County family over a "stolen" parking space was captured by members of the U.S. Marshals Service in Schuylkill County, authorities said. Thomas Hablett, 53, was apprehended at his home in Schuylkill Haven (Schuylkill County) on Wednesday, Tilden Township police said. He had been wanted since Sept. 13 for an incident on Sept. 1 in which he became enraged over a parking space that he believed a man had taken from him at the Tilden Walmart, according to police. Hablett circled the parking lot and waited for the driver, his…
2 Tornadoes Touched Down In Pennsylvania, Possible Twister Eyed In Morris County, NWS Says 2 Tornadoes Touched Down In Pennsylvania, Possible Twister Eyed In Morris County, NWS Says
2 Tornadoes Touched Down In Pennsylvania, Possible Twister Eyed In Morris County, NWS Says Two tornadoes have been confirmed as touching down in parts of Pennsylvania, the National Weather Service said. An EF-1 tornado was confirmed in Bucks and Montgomery Counties early Thursday. Another tornado touched down Wednesday night in Berks County, according to the NWS office in Mount Holly, New Jersey. Tornado experts are continuing to survey parts of Morris County in New Jersey to see if a twister also touched down there, NWS officials said late Thursday. There was numerous reports of large trees uprooted, power lines down, widespread electric power outages and severe damage to roofs…
PD: Man Charged With Sexually Assaulting Co-Worker At Duck Farm In Berks County PD: Man Charged With Sexually Assaulting Co-Worker At Duck Farm In Berks County
PD: Man Charged With Sexually Assaulting Co-Worker At Duck Farm In Berks County Charges were filed against a man accused of sexually assaulting his 21-year-old co-worker at a duck farm in Berks County, authorities said. The victim told officers she was sexually assaulted by her co-worker, Axel Sarceno, 45, at Joe Jurgielewicz & Son Ltd duck farm in Hamburg on July 15, according to the Tilden Township Police Department. A criminal complaint was filed against Sarceno on Aug. 11 for misdemeanor indecent assault by force, misdemeanor harassment by communication, and summary harassment. Berks County Detectives assisted in the investigation.
TSA Busts Berks County Man With Loaded Gun At Lehigh Valley International Airport TSA Busts Berks County Man With Loaded Gun At Lehigh Valley International Airport
TSA Busts Berks County Man With Loaded Gun At Lehigh Valley International Airport A Berks County man was found with a loaded handgun Thursday at the Lehigh Valley International Airport in Allentown, authorities said. Transportation Security Administration (TSA) officers spotted the gun in the Hamburg man’s carry-on bag and alerted airport authority police, who arrived at the checkpoint, confiscated the gun, and arrested the man, TSA officials said. It was the second gun caught within a week at the airport and the third caught so far this year, officials said.  One week earlier, TSA officers stopped a Quakertown man with a loaded gun. Civil penalties for bring…
Man Falsely Reports Fire At Berks Co. Bar & Grill After Bartender Refuses Alcohol Service Man Falsely Reports Fire At Berks Co. Bar & Grill After Bartender Refuses Alcohol Service
Man Falsely Reports Fire At Berks Co. Bar & Grill After Bartender Refuses Alcohol Service A Schuylkill County man falsely reported a fire to 911 dispatchers after being refused alcohol service for being highly intoxicated at a Berks County bar & grill last month, authorities said. David Reynolds, 47, of Orwigsburg called 911 to report that he saw the kitchen of Westy Bar & Grill on West State Street up in flames around 4 p.m. on March 2, according to the Tilden Township Police Department. Reynolds told dispatchers he noticed the fire after he finished his dinner and left the Hamburg establishment. He said there were still diners inside, police said. Reynolds appare…
Body Found On Schuylkill River May Be Career Criminal Chad Blackston, Reports Say Body Found On Schuylkill River May Be Career Criminal Chad Blackston, Reports Say
Body Found On Schuylkill River May Be Career Criminal Chad Blackston, Reports Say Authorities have identified the body found along the banks of the Schuylkill River as that of 49-year-old Chad Blackston, of Hamburg. Blackston's lifeless body was discovered around 11 a.m. Sunday off Hill Drive in Tilden Township, according to WFMZ. It was not immediately clear if this was the same Chad Blackston who in 2014 fled to the Schuylkill River while running from police, on accusations he robbed a cab driver. The incident caused a lockdown of area schools as police worked for nearly an hour to coax Blackston from the water. No further information was available as the death …
Police: Berks Driver Yelling Racial Slurs Arrested For Striking Woman, Almost Hitting Officers Police: Berks Driver Yelling Racial Slurs Arrested For Striking Woman, Almost Hitting Officers
Police: Berks Driver Yelling Racial Slurs Arrested For Striking Woman, Almost Hitting Officers A Berks County driver is in police custody after he knocked a woman down, and almost struck officers over the weekend, authorities said.  Police responded to the 1100 block of Bern Road Saturday on reports of a man -- later identified as Jason S. Smith, 46,--  allegedly yelling racial slurs and refusing to leave the premises, according to Wyomissing police. Smith then fled the scene in a black convertible Mercedes Benz, police said. Smith was later seen speeding through a crowded parking lot where he struck a woman and knocked her to the ground, police said. While Smit…