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Risking Catastrophe

Police & Fire
Teen, Two Young Adults Accused Of Breaking Into Lititz Restaurant, Setting Off Fireworks Teen, Two Young Adults Accused Of Breaking Into Lititz Restaurant, Setting Off Fireworks
Teen, Two Young Adults Accused Of Breaking Into Lititz Restaurant, Setting Off Fireworks Charges have been filed against a teen and two young adults accused of breaking into a vacant Lititz restaurant in July, police announced on Wednesday, Nov. 20, 2024. The Northern Lancaster County Regional Police Department launched an investigation on July 24 after a suspicious social media post from July 23 showed the group inside the former La Piazza restaurant at 800 Lititz Pike, Warwick Township. The post depicted 18-year-old Tommy Wainman III of Lititz and 21-year-old Andrew Nathan Allen of Marietta breaking into the building and setting off fireworks, officers said. Investigators sai…

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by Jillian Pikora
Police & Fire
Man Severely Burned In Pennsylvania Wildfire, Charged With Arson: Police Man Severely Burned In Pennsylvania Wildfire, Charged With Arson: Police
Man Severely Burned In Pennsylvania Wildfire, Charged With Arson: Police A man accused of setting one of the wild fire across Pennsylvania has been charged with multiple felonies, police announced Monday, Nov. 18. Malcolm Kellogg suffered severe burns to his upper body in the blaze on Blue Mountain near Autumn Oaks Drive and Box Elder Court on Friday, Nov. 8, according to the Lower Paxton Bureau of Police. The fire started after Kellogg, who was previously cited for illegally dumping trash at the same location, allegedly lit the debris on fire instead of removing it as directed. The flames spread quickly, endangering nearby homes and residents, police said. Mor…

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by Jillian Pikora
Police & Fire
ATM Theft Rings Sought In PA, MD After Bust Of 'Smash & Grab' Group: Police ATM Theft Rings Sought In PA, MD After Bust Of 'Smash & Grab' Group: Police
ATM Theft Rings Sought In PA, MD After Bust Of 'Smash & Grab' Group: Police Four people are being extradited to Pennsylvania from Maryland for "smash and grab" ATM thefts authorities believe are part of a wider network, according to a release on Friday, Oct. 11.  A police investigation across three states has led to the arrests of the following four suspects all from Baltimore, MD, on charges of Robbery and Risking Catastrophe: Donnell King, 39. Charonda Cook, 27. Barry Diggs, 26. Jaquawon Matthews, 26. The quadruple is suspected of stealing an ATM by driving through the front entrance of the York Fuel Stop at 1129 W. Market Street in West York Borough a…

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by Jillian Pikora
Police & Fire
Arsonist Set Fire At Lackawanna County Building: Investigators Arsonist Set Fire At Lackawanna County Building: Investigators
Arsonist Set Fire At Lackawanna County Building: Investigators A Scranton man is charged with setting a fire at the Lackawanna County government building last week, according to city police.  Paul Howard Strope Jr., 35, is also charged with risking catastrophe and reckless endangerment, authorities said.  The 123 Wyoming Avenue fire started around 6:30 on Tuesday, June 26, Scranton police said. A meeting was in progress in a conference room when attendees smelled smoke wafting in through the building's HVAC system, according to authorities.  The building was evacuated and firefighters "conducted suppression and ventilation activities," …

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by Mac Bullock
Police & Fire
Man Charged At Police With Hatchet During Standoff On PA Trail, Authorities Say Man Charged At Police With Hatchet During Standoff On PA Trail, Authorities Say
Man Charged At Police With Hatchet During Standoff On PA Trail, Authorities Say A man is in police custody after a standoff on the D and L trail in Lehighton on Monday, May 27, according to borough officials.  Lehighton police said it began around 8 a.m. when callers reported burning in the woods near the 400 block of North First Street.  On the scene, they heard shouting and small explosions coming from the Lehigh River, authorities said. In the woods, they found a man setting fires near propane tanks "in what appeared to be an attempt to cause explosions." Officials said the man verbally threatened police, charged at them with a hatchet, and "threatened to…

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by Mac Bullock
Police & Fire
Delco Firefighter Charged With Arson, Court Docs Say (PHOTOS) Delco Firefighter Charged With Arson, Court Docs Say (PHOTOS)
Delco Firefighter Charged With Arson, Court Docs Say (Photos) A Yeadon Fire Company member is accused of starting a vehicle fire in Colwyn last Thursday, April 11, according to a criminal complaint obtained by Daily Voice.  Abner Roberts, 18, is charged with felony arson, risking catastrophe, and related counts, court records show.  The Darby Fire Company said it happened on the 200 block of South 2nd Street around 4:15 p.m. Thursday. Firefighters arrived to find a Land Rover engulfed in flames with exposure to three surrounding homes.  Facebook/Darby Fire Co. # 1 Station 4 Facebook/Darby Fire Co. # 1 Station 4 According to th…

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by Mac Bullock
Police & Fire
Suspects Set Off 'Multiple Explosions' With Homemade Bombs In PA: Police Suspects Set Off 'Multiple Explosions' With Homemade Bombs In PA: Police
Suspects Set Off 'Multiple Explosions' With Homemade Bombs In PA: Police Two men are in custody after police say they set off a series of "improvised explosive devices" in Warrington Township early on Sunday morning, Oct. 1.  Vladimir Nosatchev and Vadim Pokusov, both of Philadelphia, are charged with weapons of mass destruction, felony arson, risking catastrophe, and related counts, according to township police.  Authorities said they were called about possible fireworks near Street Road and Neshaminy Avenue around 3:30 a.m. As officers patrolled the area, they heard "multiple explosions that were not consistent with fireworks," the departme…

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by Mac Bullock
Police & Fire
PA Dad Of 3 Who Killed Wife, Burned House Down Learns His Fate: DA PA Dad Of 3 Who Killed Wife, Burned House Down Learns His Fate: DA
PA Dad Of 3 Who Killed Wife, Burned House Down Learns His Fate: DA "He lied since day one," Assistant District Attorney Jennifer Ponessa said of Carlos Montalvo-Rivera.  The 55-year-old Lancaster liar who concocted a wild story "that intruders broke into the home, killed his wife, and set fire to it out of retaliation for the victim’s brother, who had cooperated with the DEA in an unrelated case," was sentenced on Wednesday, June 21, 2023, according to a release by the Lancaster County District Attorney's office.  Montalvo-Rivera has been sentenced to "life in prison – plus 20 years – for deliberately setting fire to his family’s home a…

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by Jillian Pikora
Police & Fire
Police ID Pair Plaguing PA Neighborhood With Explosions For Weeks, Police Say Police ID Pair Plaguing PA Neighborhood With Explosions For Weeks, Police Say
Police ID Pair Plaguing PA Neighborhood With Explosions For Weeks, Police Say Authorities in Northampton County say they have identified the pair responsible for a series of explosions in the area.  Slate Belt Regional police were called to East Laurel Avenue in Pen Argyl at 3 a.m. on Saturday, March 18 after residents reported hearing a large explosion, the department said in a release.  Authorities noted that they had received "numerous" similar complaints in the neighborhood "beginning several months earlier."  No suspects were in the area by the time officers arrived, so detectives returned the next day to conduct a follow-up investigation, police…

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by Mac Bullock
Police & Fire
Arsonist Set Fire To West Chester Building With People Inside, Police Say Arsonist Set Fire To West Chester Building With People Inside, Police Say
Arsonist Set Fire To West Chester Building With People Inside, Police Say A man is charged with arson after police say he set fire to an occupied building in West Chester last month.  Mark Benziner, 53, of West Chester, is charged with felony arson, risking catastrophe, reckless endangerment, and related counts, said Borough police in a statement.  Investigators say that on Monday, Feb. 20, Benzinger went to the rear of a structure on the 100 block of West Miner Street and set fire to the building just after 6:30 p.m. Borough firefighters were joined by the West Whiteland Fire Company and knocked down the fire with only two engines, they said on Facebook at the …

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by Mac Bullock
Police & Fire
Arsonist Caused Blaze That Evacuated Lehigh Valley Red Roof Inn: Police Arsonist Caused Blaze That Evacuated Lehigh Valley Red Roof Inn: Police
Arsonist Caused Blaze That Evacuated Lehigh Valley Red Roof Inn: Police A 38-year-old man has been charged with arson in a fire that evacuated 52 rooms at a Lehigh Valley Red Roof Inn last week, according to news reports and authorities. John Henry Zarzycki was arrested after the 8:12 a.m. blaze Thursday, Nov. 10 at the Palmer Township Red Roof Inn, according to local police. A second alarm was called at the building, as firefighters "tore apart the room" on the third floor of the building, but found nothing, fire officials tell LehighValleyLive. Police did not immediately provide further details in announcing Zarzycki's arrest. He was charged with a…

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by Cecilia Levine
Police & Fire
Man Crashes Through Lehigh Valley Airport Fence, Drives Toward Plane Taking Off, Report Says Man Crashes Through Lehigh Valley Airport Fence, Drives Toward Plane Taking Off, Report Says
Man Crashes Through Lehigh Valley Airport Fence, Drives Toward Plane Taking Off, Report Says A Pennsylvania man was arrested after he drove his vehicle through a fence at Lehigh Valley International Airport straight for a plane taking off, reports say. An Allegiant commercial flight with 171 people on board was taking off around 3:20 p.m. Friday when Brad Weinhofer, 34, of Northampton Borough, came barreling through, an airport spokesperson told LehighValleyLive. There were no reported injuries and the runway was closed for about 20 minutes, the outlet reports. Weinhofer was charged with risking catastrophe, recklessly endangering another person, and criminal mischief, according t…

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by Nicole Acosta
News
SEEN HIM? NY Man Wanted By Lancaster Police For Setting Fire To Apartments SEEN HIM? NY Man Wanted By Lancaster Police For Setting Fire To Apartments
Seen HIM? NY Man Wanted By Lancaster Police For Setting Fire To Apartments A man from Queens, New York is wanted by police in Lancaster, Pennsylvania for setting fire to occupied apartments. Husani A. Laviscount, 33, is wanted by police in Manheim Township for burglary and arson of the apartment structure in the 600 block of Wyncroft Lane on April 25 between 8-8:44 p.m. Laviscount, entered one of the apartments and intentionally set it on fire-- a fire which then spread to a total of five other occupied structures-- all with the purpose of destroying or damaging them, according to police. Eight people were inside the apartments at the time, all made it out safely…

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by Jillian Pikora
News
FBI Called To PA Apartment After DIY Fireworks Go Wrong FBI Called To PA Apartment After DIY Fireworks Go Wrong
FBI Called To PA Apartment After DIY Fireworks Go Wrong A Mechanicsburg man is facing a weapons of mass destruction charge after a failed attempt to make fireworks, say police. Johnathan Park, 33, was arrested after he attempted to make fireworks on his bed in his apartment in 500 block of Geneva Drive, according to police. Upper Allen Township police and fire were called to the apartment complex for reports of a burn victim around 1 a.m. on Wednesday. Upon arrival crews found that Park's bed caught fire while he was attempting to making homemade fireworks. Neighborings in the complex were evacuated. Park's apartment had explosives and explo…

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by Jillian Pikora