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Berks County District Attorney's Office

Bethel Mother Justified In Fatal Shooting Of Son During Break-In: Berks DA Bethel Mother Justified In Fatal Shooting Of Son During Break-In: Berks DA
Bethel Mother Justified In Fatal Shooting Of Son During Break-In: Berks DA A Berks County woman who shot and killed her son after he broke into her home acted in self-defense, authorities announced on Tuesday, Dec. 17. Sean M. Clemens, 32, of Myerstown, was shot multiple times by his 64-year-old mother during a confrontation at her residence on Little Mountain Road in Bethel Township, Berks County, on Wednesday, Nov. 6, according to the Berks County District Attorney’s Office. The incident began around 7:50 a.m. when the woman called 911 to report that she had shot her son after he forcibly entered her home, officials said. Investigators said Clemens, who had a h…
2 Convicted Of Third-Degree Murder In Brookline Park Shooting: Berks DA 2 Convicted Of Third-Degree Murder In Brookline Park Shooting: Berks DA
Anthony Boria, Henry Madera Jr., Killed Amiere Bibbs: DA Two men were convicted of third-degree murder in the 2022 Brookline Park shooting on Thursday, Oct. 31, authorities said. Anthony Boria, 20, of Reading, and Henry Madera Jr., 19, of West Lawn, were each found guilty of third-degree murder for the death of Amiere Bibbs, who was 18 years old when he was found dead at the scene, according to the Berks County District Attorney's Office. The shooting happened when a large group of teens mostly from Governor Mifflin School District gathered to watch a fistfight at Brookline Park in Reading on Friday, March 14, 2022, the district attorney's office…
Reading Man Busted With Drugs, Guns, 'Numerous Paraphernalia Items': Berks DA Reading Man Busted With Drugs, Guns, 'Numerous Paraphernalia Items': Berks DA
Reading Man Busted With Drugs, Guns, 'Numerous Paraphernalia Items': Berks DA A Reading man targeted in a drug bust was found with guns, various drugs, and numerous items of drug paraphernalia, authorities said. Allah Jamal Johnson, 38, of 1501 Perkiomen Avenue, was arrested outside of his residence on Wednesday, Oct. 23 after authorities executed a search warrant, according to the Berks County District Attorney's Office. An investigation by the Berks County Drug Task Force into Johnson began in August, resulting in a search warrant for his home and his vehicle, a white Buick Regal. During the search, investigators found: One Smith and Wesson 9mm pistol with an ob…
PA Mom Who Googled 'Methods Of Killing' Same Day She Hanged Her Kids Gets 2 Life Sentences PA Mom Who Googled 'Methods Of Killing' Same Day She Hanged Her Kids Gets 2 Life Sentences
Lisa Snyder Sentenced For Hanging Her Children A Reading mom who Googled "methods of killing" before hanging her two children in her basement has been sentenced to life in prison, the Berks County District Attorney John T. Adams announced on Thursday, Oct. 17.  Lisa Snyder, 41, was found guilty of the following on Tuesday, Sept. 24; 2 counts of First-Degree Murder, 2 counts of Endangering the Welfare of Children, and Tampering with Evidence, the Berks County DA explained in the release. The charges stem from an investigation into the Sept. 2019 death of her 8-year-old son, 4-year-old daughter, and the family…
'Street-Level' Reading Drug Dealer Arrested With $27K In Drugs: DA 'Street-Level' Reading Drug Dealer Arrested With $27K In Drugs: DA
Jaime Serrano-Rosario Arrested With $27K In Drugs: Berks DA A Reading "street-level" drug dealer was arrested with more than $27,000 worth of heroin and fentanyl, authorities said. Jaime Serrano-Rosario, 55, was arrested without incident by detectives of the Berks County Drug Task Force on Thursday, Oct. 17, according to the Berks County District Attorney's Office. Authorities found 5,348 packets of heroin/fentanyl, five grams of bulk heroin/fentanyl, a .38 caliber Derringer loaded handgun, and $2,035 in cash at Serrano-Rosario's residence, authorities said. The street value of the heroin/fentanyl seized is about $27,115. The investigatio…
Sword-Wielding Drug Dealer Convicted PA Murder: DA Sword-Wielding Drug Dealer Convicted PA Murder: DA
William Smoot Guilty Of Murdering Anthony DelCollo A convicted drug dealer is back behind bars again, this time for murdering a man with a sword, the Berks County District Attorney's Office announced on Thursday, Oct. 10. William Smoot, 50, Exeter Township, was convicted of First-Degree Murder and Conspiracy to Commit Murder for stabbing DelCollo multiple times with a sword on Thursday, Oct. 10, according to the Berks County District Attorney's Office. Smoot has been held in the Berks County Prison while awaiting sentencing, the district attorney's office said. A sentencing date was not available at the time of publication. Smoot's accompl…
PA Man Who Executed His Wife Gets 50 Years In Prison: DA PA Man Who Executed His Wife Gets 50 Years In Prison: DA
Ignacio Peralta-Agramonte Convicted For Murdering Wife: DA A Berks County man who was charged for the execution-style murder of his estranged wife was sentenced to 25 to 50 years in prison, authorities said. Ignacio Peralta-Agramonte, 50, of Leesport, will serve up to 50 years in prison after pleading guilty to Third-Degree Murder on Thursday, Oct. 10, according to the Berks County District Attorney's Office. Peralta-Agramonte encountered his estranged wife, Librad Reyes De Peralta, at the intersection of Route 61 and Snyder Road in Ontelaunee Township on Friday, Aug. 4, 2023, the district attorney's office said. That's when he shot her. A Norther…
Passenger Guilty Of Involuntary Manslaughter For I-78 Fatal Crash: Berks DA Passenger Guilty Of Involuntary Manslaughter For I-78 Fatal Crash: Berks DA
Passenger Guilty Of Involuntary Manslaughter For I-78 Fatal Crash: Berks DA A passenger has been found guilty of Involuntary Manslaughter for a fatal crash on Interstate 78, the Berks County District Attorney's Office annoued on Friday, Oct. 11. Dustin Micheal Harbaugh, 37, of Lebanon, was convicted for causing the crash that killed Jason Carl Blauch, 38, of Myerstown, according to the DA and his obituary posted by Rohland Funeral Home Inc. Blauch was one of six people the 2013 Chrysler Town and Country crossed the fog line and onto the snowy and icy berm near mile marker 9.8 in Bethel Township around 2 a.m., on Saturday, Jan. 8, 2022, as Daily Voice previousl…
84-Year-Old Bethel Woman Shot By Husband While Reading Bible: Affidavit 84-Year-Old Bethel Woman Shot By Husband While Reading Bible: Affidavit
Howard Boltz Arrested For Shooting Wife in Head: DA An 84-year-old Bethel woman was shot in the head as she was reading the Bible, according to court documents obtained by Daily Voice on Tuesday, Oct. 8. The woman was shot by her husband, Howard "Philip" Boltz, as she was sitting at their dinner at their dining room table at 9:10 a.m. on Friday, Oct. 4, as detailed in the affidavit of probable cause.  Boltz, 82, told his wife, "I can't stand it no more. You are cutting me down," as he placed a .22 caliber rifle's barrel against her head, according to the document. The rifle was still covered with a cloth Boltz used to protect it while i…
Reading Man Arrested In $12K Drug Trafficking Bust: Police Reading Man Arrested In $12K Drug Trafficking Bust: Police
Reading Man Arrested In $12K Drug Trafficking Bust: Police A Reading man was arrested for drug trafficking Thursday, Sept. 26 after police found him in possession of $12,000 worth of drugs, according to authorities. Dennis Valentin, 34, was found with 1,200 Ecstasy pills and 140 grams of marijuana in his apartment at 931 North 3rd Street, the Berks County District Attorney's Office said. Valentin was taken to the Berks County Sheriff's Department Central Processing Center, according to authorities. He is currently awaiting preliminary arraignment.  The Berks County District Attorney's Drug Task Force began investigating Valentin in August, th…
11 Pounds Of Meth, Fentanyl, Guns Seized In Major Reading Drug Bust: DA 11 Pounds Of Meth, Fentanyl, Guns Seized In Major Reading Drug Bust: DA
11 Pounds Of Meth, Fentanyl, Guns Seized In Major Reading Drug Bust: DA Three Reading men were arrested in a major drug bust that turned up 11 pounds of methamphetamine, eight pounds of fentanyl, multiple loaded firearms, and more, authorities said. Selwyn Alcais-Garica, Rashan Brinkley, and Marcial Cooper are all facing a slew of charges following search warrants executed across Reading, leading to the evidential seizures, the Berks County DA's Office announced Monday, Sept. 16. Warrants were executed at 1423 Birch st. in Reading;1615 N.10th St. in Reading; 662 Tulpehocken Street in Reading and 501 Emerson Ave. in Laureldale. Authorities seized …
Man Accused Of Raping 2 Girls At PA Home: DA Man Accused Of Raping 2 Girls At PA Home: DA
Man Accused Of Raping 2 Girls At PA Home: DA A 32-year-old man from Berks County has been arrested in connection with the rape of two girls at a home in Reading, one when she was 11 years old, authorities said on Friday, Sept. 6. Janson G. Paz-Ochoa of Shillington was charged with rape, rape of a child, and multiple other offenses, according to the Berks County District Attorney's Office. He was arrested on Aug. 27 and is due to reappear in court on Sept. 13, court records show. Berks County District Attorney’s detectives received a childline referral on April 12 from the state Department of Human Services which reported that a&n…
Felon Found With Multiple Guns, Manufacturing Equipment In Reading Home: DA Felon Found With Multiple Guns, Manufacturing Equipment In Reading Home: DA
Felon Found With Multiple Guns, Manufacturing Equipment In Reading Home: DA A Reading man faces felony charges for illegal possession of firearms, according to the Berks County District Attorney's Office.  James Freeman-Neely, 48, was arrested on July 13 for simple assault, said prosecutors in a release on Tuesday, July 30.  The alleged victim of the assault was granted a Protection From Abuse order (PFA) against Freeman-Neely, which required the 48-year-old to "relinquish all firearms, weapons, and ammunition" to the Berks Sheriff's Office, authorities said.  He signed a document claiming he owned no firearms, but police said they found severa…
Sex Offender Husband, Wife Face Child Pornography Charges: Berks County DA Sex Offender Husband, Wife Face Child Pornography Charges: Berks County DA
Dennis, Elizabeth Deiter Admit To Child Porn Possession: DA A convicted sex offender and his Reading wife have been arrested on child pornography charges, according to the Berks County District Attorney's Office.  Dennis Deiter, 46, and Elizabeth Deiter, 34, both "admitted to utilizing their respective cellular telephones to view child pornography," prosecutors wrote in a release on Wednesday, July 24.  Detectives began investigating the pair after receiving a complaint from the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children, authorities said. The investigation led them to the Deiters' South 12th Street home where they e…
Reading Businessman Sold Fentanyl To Undercover Detectives, DA Says Reading Businessman Sold Fentanyl To Undercover Detectives, DA Says
Reading Businessman Sold Fentanyl To Undercover Detectives, DA Says Over a hundred fentanyl pills were seized in a Reading drug raid on Friday, July 12, according to the Berks County District Attorney's Office.  Gregory Borges, 60, was charged with drug and firearms offenses, prosecutors said.  Detectives began investigating Borges in May and made multiple controlled buys of fentanyl from his business Gshirt Inc. at 921 Penn Street, authorities wrote in a release.  "He was selling this lethal product and storing it at this location," the DA's Office said. Detectives obtained a search warrant for his business on Wednesday, July 10 and raided…
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. 
Cigarette Butt Leads To NJ Suspect's Arrest In 2012 PA Diner Killing: DA Cigarette Butt Leads To NJ Suspect's Arrest In 2012 PA Diner Killing: DA
Vallis Slaughter Charged In 2012 Julio Torres Murder: DA The alleged gunman in a deadly 2012 Reading shooting is in police custody in New Jersey, according to Berks County prosecutors.  Vallis L. Slaughter, of Jersey City, is being held in Hudson County pending his extradition to Pennsylvania, said the District Attorney's Office on Monday, March 25.  Investigators believe he killed 34-year-old Julio A. Torres on March 24, 2012. Torres was shot while sitting in his car in the parking lot of the West Reading Diner after a confrontation with suspects, the DA's Office said.  Jomaine Case was eventually convicted in connectio…
Reading Police Shoot And Kill Knife-Wielding Man: Authorities (UPDATED) Reading Police Shoot And Kill Knife-Wielding Man: Authorities (UPDATED)
Deadly Reading Officer-Involved Shooting Under Investigation Update: The Berks County District Attorney's Office has identified the man as 50-year-old Damon S. Stern.  Reading police officers said they killed a man who was armed with a knife early Monday morning, March 25.  Authorities were called to the 400 block of Windsor Street around 3:45 a.m. for reports of a "male armed with a knife making suicidal threats," the department said in a release.  Police said they commanded the man to drop the knife, "however, the male ignored those commands and moved towards the officers," the release says.  They shot him and he succumbe…
Former NFL Player's Killer Arrested In Brooklyn: Berks County DA Former NFL Player's Killer Arrested In Brooklyn: Berks County DA
Antonio Dennard Murder: Jose Pizarro Arrested In NYC The suspected gunman in the 2022 Muhlenberg murder of a former pro football player was arrested in Brooklyn on Tuesday, March 5, according to authorities.  The Berks County District Attorney's Office says Jose Daniel Pizarro, 26, was located in a Bedford-Stuyvesant apartment by US Marshals and city police.  Investigators believe Pizarro shot and killed 32-year-old Antonio Dennard at Legends bar on North 5th Street Highway early on Oct. 16, 2022. He was taken to Reading Hospital where he died from his wounds, Daily Voice reported. Pizarro, of Reading, is awaiting extradition …
Undercover Bust: 5 People Seeking Sex With Teens Met By Detectives In Berks County, DA Says Undercover Bust: 5 People Seeking Sex With Teens Met By Detectives In Berks County, DA Says
Undercover Bust: 5 People Seeking Sex With Teens Met By Detectives In Berks County, DA Says Five people seeking sex with teens have been arrested in an undercover Berks County sting, authorities said. All five individuals responded to an ad, posted on Monday, Jan. 19 by detectives, offering sex with 14- and 15-year-old juveniles at various locations in Berks County, the county district attorney's office announced. The individuals agreed to meet up and have sex with the "teens," but instead were met by detectives and promptly arrested, District Attorney John T. Adams said. The following arrests were made, according to Adams: Richard Keene, 70, of Reading, charged with Traff…
Berks Woman Stole Thousands From Elderly Victim's Bank Account, Prosecutors Say Berks Woman Stole Thousands From Elderly Victim's Bank Account, Prosecutors Say
Tracy Hoffman Charged With Fraud In Berks County: DA A Reading woman is accused of defrauding a senior out of thousands of dollars, says the Berks County District Attorney's Office.  Tracy Hoffman, 58, is charged with felony financial exploitation of an older adult, identity theft, forgery, and related counts, according to prosecutors.  Investigators said Hoffman issued multiple checks from the victim's personal bank account without her knowledge, allegedly withdrawing more than $9,000. She's also accused of making over $12,000 in authorized credit card transactions in the victim's name, authorities said.  Detectives believe t…
Berks Mom Sentenced For Stabbing Fiance To Death While Daughter Was Home: DA Berks Mom Sentenced For Stabbing Fiance To Death While Daughter Was Home: DA
Jillian Blimline Heads To Prison For Killing Fiance: DA A Sinking Spring woman will spend up to two decades behind bars for stabbing her fiance to death during an "altercation" more than three years ago, said the Berks County District Attorney's Office in a release.  Jillian R. Blimline, now 41, was sentenced to 10 to 20 years after pleading no contest to the third-degree murder of Chad MacWilliam, according to officials.  Authorities have said they were called to Blimline and MacWilliam's shared home at 20 Maywood Avenue around 9 p.m. on Dec. 13, 2020.  Police and medics arrived to find MacWilliam, 39, apparently suffering …
7 Suspected Drug Dealers With 'Links To Mexican Cartel' Sought By Berks DA 7 Suspected Drug Dealers With 'Links To Mexican Cartel' Sought By Berks DA
7 Suspected Drug Dealers With 'Links To Mexican Cartel' Sought By Berks DA A week after "Operation Knockout" saw 29 accused drug dealers charged in Berks County, prosecutors say seven of them are still on the run.  Roughly $1.5 million in cocaine, fentanyl, methamphetamine, and other substances were seized by authorities in recent weeks as part of their effort targeting a "large-scale drug trafficking organization" based in and around Reading, officials have said.  The organization, according to the DA's Office, was being supplied by a source who had "direct links to a Mexican cartel." Only 18 of the suspects were in custody when authorities announced "Operation…
Berks Man Arrested On Child Pornography Charges Berks Man Arrested On Child Pornography Charges
Berks Man Arrested On Child Pornography Charges A 66-year-old Shillington man faces 10 counts of child pornography possession, according to the Berks County District Attorney's Office.  Mark Fishkin surrendered to county detectives on Thursday morning, Oct. 12, and was arraigned the same day, authorities said.  Investigators say they received an NCMEC complaint about a Bing account associated with Fishkin in July.  Detectives obtained a warrant on Sept. 20 and seized a laptop and a desktop from Fishkin's Shillington home, they said. A forensic analysis revealed "numerous digital files of child pornography" on both devices…
PA Bicyclist Was Found By Brother After Deadly Hit-Run: Authorities PA Bicyclist Was Found By Brother After Deadly Hit-Run: Authorities
PA Bicyclist Was Found By Brother After Deadly Hit-Run: Authorities A Lancaster Township man is accused of fleeing the scene of the deadly crash that killed 23-year-old Anson Burkholder in Maidencreek Township last month.  Moshe K. Notis, 28, is charged with homicide by vehicle and other counts related to the Sept. 20 crash, said the Berks County District Attorney's Office.  Investigators say Burkholder, of Maidencreek, was biking home after stopping by a farm to tend to animals around 8 p.m.  When he never made it back, his brother went looking and found the 23-year-old dead off the shoulder of Route 222 near the edge of a cornfield, accord…
9 Escaped Inmates Recaptured After Riot At 'Secure' PA Facility (UPDATE) 9 Escaped Inmates Recaptured After Riot At 'Secure' PA Facility (UPDATE)
9 Escaped Inmates Recaptured After Riot At 'Secure' PA Facility (Update) All nine juveniles that broke out of Abraxas Academy juvenile detention center have been recaptured, Pennsylvania State Police Trooper Beohm said on Monday morning.  The teens escaped the "secure youth treatment facility" Abraxas Academy located at 1000 Academy Drive, Morgantown, Caernarvon Township, on Sunday, Sept. 17 around 8 p.m., according to area police.  Trooper Beohm said these boys were at the Academy as a holding facility not the long-term location of sentenced youth.  The boys were between the ages of 14 and 17 years of age. Seven of them were from Harrisburg, one from Lehigh Co…
Husband Charged With Wife's Murder In Berks County: DA Husband Charged With Wife's Murder In Berks County: DA
Husband Charged With Wife's Murder In Berks County: DA A Berks County man previously charged with assault in a deadly domestic incident is now accused of murdering his wife, according to the District Attorney's Office. Harrison Boakye 46, of Fleetwood, was arrested at his Middletown Road home early on Friday, July 7, after 33-year-old Winifred P. Boakye was found unresponsive inside, Daily Voice reported.  Life-saving aid was rendered by first responders "but failed," and she was pronounced dead, authorities said last week.  During her autopsy on Monday, July 10, medical examiners ruled her death a homicide by way of "manua…
Toddler's Killer Captured By US Marshals In Philadelphia: Cops Toddler's Killer Captured By US Marshals In Philadelphia: Cops
Toddler's Killer Captured By US Marshals In Philadelphia: Cops A man accused of killing a 2-year-old Berks County boy was arrested by US Marshals in Philadelphia early on Thursday, July 6, according to authorities.  Charles A. Acosta, 25, was taken into custody in Tacony, Marshals said.  Acosta was caring for the 2-year-old victim, the boy's younger brother, and his own daughter while his partner and her daughter went out to pick up laundry on the evening of May 4, the Berks County District Attorney's Office said. Acosta called his girlfriend and told her to return to their Bern Township home after the child became "swollen and lethargic" an…
7K+ THC-Laced Fake Branded Products Seized In Central PA: DA 7K+ THC-Laced Fake Branded Products Seized In Central PA: DA
7K+ Thc-laced Fake Branded Products Seized In Central PA: DA Brand-name products were used to disguise illegal drugs found in Lancaster, according to a release by the District Attorney's Office on Thursday, June 1, 2023. Kellogg’s, Ruffles, and Nerds were among the over 7,200 products seized by the Lancaster County Drug Task Force during a two-day operation– with a total estimated value of approximately $290,000, as detailed in the DA's release. The task force went to 43 stores throughout the county and conducted searches with the store owners' consent to find the Delta-8 and Delta-10 THC products. Products seized included vapes, cartridges, oi…
Reading Man Charged With Rape: DA Reading Man Charged With Rape: DA
Reading Man Charged With Rape: DA A Reading man faces criminal charges in connection with a 2022 Shillington sexual assault, the Berks County District Attorney's Office announced.  Angel Vasquez, 28, was arrested Thursday, April 20, and booked on two counts each of rape, involuntary deviate sexual intercourse, and aggravated indecent assault, prosecutors said.  The charges stem from a reported assault at a Shillington residence on May 26, 2022, authorities said. Investigators spoke with the alleged victim, 51, and performed a medical examination that revealed DNA evidence, according to the release.  "A labor…
UPDATE: Suspect Shot By Cops In Berks Was Armed And Wanted, Police Say UPDATE: Suspect Shot By Cops In Berks Was Armed And Wanted, Police Say
Update: Suspect Shot By Cops In Berks Was Armed And Wanted, Police Say The man shot dead by police officers in Berks County late on Thursday, March 30 was armed with a rifle and wanted for a Philadelphia shooting, authorities claim.  Previously, state Trooper David Beohm said on Twitter that an "officer involved fatal shooting" happened in Wyomissing Borough on the 900 block of Spring Street.  PSP along with the Berks County District Attorney’s office are currently investigating an officer involved fatal shooting last night at 903 Spring St Wyomissing. Press conference today at 2 at PSP Reading — Trooper Beohm (@PSPTroopLPIO) March 31, 2023 Now, in a rele…