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Lancaster County District Attorney's Office

Chester County Man With Traumatic Brain Injury Pleads Guilty To Lancaster County Crime Spree Chester County Man With Traumatic Brain Injury Pleads Guilty To Lancaster County Crime Spree
Chester County Man With Traumatic Brain Injury Pleads Guilty To Lancaster County Crime Spree A Chester County man blamed a traumatic brain injury and addiction for his months-long crime spree across Lancaster County, which ended in a violent crash, prosecutors announced on Tuesday, Dec. 24. James Steffy, 41, of West Ridge Road in West Nottingham Township, pleaded guilty to 35 charges, including aggravated assault by vehicle while driving under the influence, burglary, theft, and access device fraud, according to the Lancaster County District Attorney’s Office. Steffy suffered a traumatic brain injury that caused significant memory loss after crashing a stolen vehicle head-on into a…
Three Men Charged In Connection To Fatal Lancaster Shooting During Botched Robbery Three Men Charged In Connection To Fatal Lancaster Shooting During Botched Robbery
Three Men Charged In Connection To Fatal Lancaster Shooting During Botched Robbery Three men, including one with a criminal history previously reported by Daily Voice, have been charged in connection to the fatal shooting of a man during a botched robbery in Lancaster City, authorities announced Wednesday, Dec. 11. Luis Javier Rivera, 23, Jorge Luis Santiago, 26, and a now 19-year-old juvenile face charges related to the Dec. 9, 2022, shooting of 30-year-old James Diggs on Ruby Street, the Lancaster County District Attorney’s Office said. The fatal incident stemmed from a planned robbery during a prearranged trade of a stolen handgun, according to prosecutors. Investigato…
Accused Cocaine Dealer Arrested During Pennsylvania Raid: DA Accused Cocaine Dealer Arrested During Pennsylvania Raid: DA
Accused Cocaine Dealer Arrested During Pennsylvania Raid: DA An accused cocaine dealer has been arrested in Lancaster City, the Lancaster County District Attorney’s Office announced. Victor Casado, 51, was charged with Felony Possession With Intent to Distribute Cocaine, Felony Possession With Intent to Distribute Marijuana, and Misdemeanor Possession of Drug Paraphernalia after a search warrant was executed at his home, authorities said on Monday, Nov. 25. Drug Task Force agents, Homeland Security Investigations, and Pennsylvania State Police conducted the search on Oct. 8 at Casado’s residence in the 200 block of East Ross Street. During the raid, …
PA Teen Who Was ‘Going To Kill My Dad Today’ Sentenced To Prison PA Teen Who Was ‘Going To Kill My Dad Today’ Sentenced To Prison
PA Teen Who Was ‘Going To Kill My Dad Today’ Sentenced To Prison A Caernarvon Township teenager who attacked his father with a BB gun and a knife after declaring he was “going to kill my dad today” has been sentenced to 3 to 6 years in state prison, authorities announced on Wednesday, Nov. 20. Nicholas Martin, 17, pleaded guilty on Oct. 28 to aggravated assault, possession of an instrument of crime, and simple assault, according to the Lancaster County District Attorney's Office. Along with his prison term, Martin was ordered to pay over $226,000 in restitution to cover his father's medical expenses. The attack occurred on Oct. 11, 2023, at their home in…
Bodycam Footage Released After Elizabethtown Officer-Involved Shooting Ruled Justified: DA Bodycam Footage Released After Elizabethtown Officer-Involved Shooting Ruled Justified: DA
Bodycam Footage Released After Elizabethtown Officer-Involved Shooting Ruled Justified: DA The fatal officer-involved shooting of 39-year-old Andrew Ward outside the Northwest Regional Police Station in Elizabethtown earlier this month has been deemed justified, the Lancaster County District Attorney’s Office announced on Tuesday, Nov. 19. Ward, who was armed with a loaded handgun, was shot by an officer after he pointed the weapon at law enforcement during a confrontation on Sunday, Nov. 3, according to the DA’s findings. Incident Overview Ward had been arrested for driving under the influence (DUI) around 10 p.m. on Saturday, Nov. 2, with a reported blood alcohol concentration …
Elizabethtown Man's Death Ruled Homicide After Fatal Shooting By Police: Lancaster Coroner Elizabethtown Man's Death Ruled Homicide After Fatal Shooting By Police: Lancaster Coroner
Elizabethtown Man's Death Ruled Homicide After Fatal Shooting By Police: Lancaster Coroner A man arrested for allegedly driving under the influence returned with a handgun to the police station and ended up being shot dead by an officer, authorities detailed in an updated release on Tuesday night, Nov. 12.  Andrew Ward, 39, of Elizabethtown has been identified as the man police fatally shot outside the Northwest Regional Police Station on Elizabethtown Road at at 1:43 a.m. on Sunday, Nov. 3, according to the DA's updated release and as Daily Voice previously reported.  His cause of death was "gunshot wounds to the body" and the manner was ruled "homicide" by t…
Hundreds Of Forged Voter Registration Found In 2.5K Questionable Applications: Lancaster DA Hundreds Of Forged Voter Registration Found In 2.5K Questionable Applications: Lancaster DA
Hundreds Of Forged Voter Registration Found In 2.5K Questionable Applications: Lancaster DA The Lancaster County District Attorney’s Office has found hundreds of fraudulent voter registration applications while continuing to investigate the 2,500 applications dropped off at the county Board of Elections. Election workers initially noticed the irregularities before the applications had been processed and notified the Lancaster County District Attorney’s Office, as Daily Voice previously reported. Detectives quickly noticed "fraud indicators" such as "incorrect and non-existent addresses, false personal identification information, as well as false names and incorrect social security…
9-Year-Old's Rapist Sentenced: Lancaster DA 9-Year-Old's Rapist Sentenced: Lancaster DA
9-Year-Old's Rapist Sentenced: Lancaster DA A Pennsylvania man has been sentenced for raping a girl for years, beginning when she was just 9-years-old, authorities announced on Tuesday, Oct. 22, 2024.  Timothy Barker, 48, of Leola, has been sentenced to serve 25-50 years in a State Correctional Institution by Lancaster County Judge Dennis Reinaker, the West Lampeter Township Police Department detailed in the updated release from the Lancaster County DA.  Barker was between the ages of 40 and 44 at the time of the abuse, which began in 2018 when Barker was in a caregiving role to the victim, the Lancaster County District Att…
PA Man Accused Of Murdering Wife 'Missing Maryanne' Has Bail Revoked: DA PA Man Accused Of Murdering Wife 'Missing Maryanne' Has Bail Revoked: DA
PA Man Accused Of Murdering Wife 'Missing Maryanne' Has Bail Revoked: DA Bail has been revoked for a husband released on bail for more than a year for allegedly murdering his wife — in a case where no body was ever found, the Lancaster County District Attorney's Office announced on Monday, Oct. 7.  Jere Bagenstose in back in the Lancaster County Prison following the Pennsylvania Supreme Court’s ruling in Commonwealth v. Yard, the DA explained.  Bagenstose has charged with criminal homicide in Dec. 2022 or the 1984 murder of his wife, Maryann Bagenstose, as Daily Voice previously reported.  Bagenstose was released after posting a ba…
'My Son Killed My Roommate' PA Teen Sentenced For Homicide: DA 'My Son Killed My Roommate' PA Teen Sentenced For Homicide: DA
'My Son Killed My Roommate' PA Teen Sentenced For Homicide: DA A 19-year-old has been sentenced for killing his dad's roommate, the Lancaster County District Attorney's office announced on Tuesday, Oct. 1.  Brian Deante Gray "just snapped" and beat his dad's roommate 68-year-old Michael Xavier Pfender to death on Monday, Dec. 12, 2023, his father told police according to the affidavit of probable cause obtained by Daily Voice.  Gray was sentenced to serve 15 to 40 years in state prison after pleading guilty to the third-degree murder Before Judge Jeffrey Conrad on Tuesday, Oct. 1. Gray and Pfender had been drinking and hanging…
Amish Buggy Driver Caused Fatal Crash In PA (UPDATE) Amish Buggy Driver Caused Fatal Crash In PA (UPDATE)
Amish Buggy Driver Caused Fatal Crash In PA (Update) An Amish great-grandfather caused the crash that ended his life, East Earl Township explained in a release on Wednesday, Aug. 28.  Levi R. Stoltzfus, 81, of Narvon, was driving the buggy east at the intersection of Sheep Hill Road and Springville Road in East Earl Township when he "failed to stop for the stop sign at Springville Road (PA route 897)," police said.  A 44-years-old woman from New Holland was driving a BMW X5 SUV north on Springville Road "when the horse and buggy entered the intersection the front end of the BMW collided with the right side rear wheel of the bug…
Child Foot Porn Made By Lancaster Babysitter Charged In Multiple Abuse Cases: DA Child Foot Porn Made By Lancaster Babysitter Charged In Multiple Abuse Cases: DA
Child Foot Porn Made By Lancaster Babysitter Charged In Multiple Abuse Cases: DA Photographs found on a former babysitter's computers (following a warranted search of his home) have led Pennsylvania State Police to identify yet another victim he abused, according to a release Lancaster County District Attorney's Office announced on Monday, Jan. 23.  Eric Dorwart, 54, of the 500 block of Pleasure Road in Manheim Township has been charged for the third time in a year for sexually assaulting children, the DA explained.  Originally, Dorwart was matched by DNA to the cold case assault of a boy and girl on West Newport Road, Gordonville, Leacock on April 4…
Lititz Mom Calls 911 For Fire, Ends Up Arrested For Endangering Child: PD Lititz Mom Calls 911 For Fire, Ends Up Arrested For Endangering Child: PD
Lititz Mom Calls 911 For Fire, Ends Up Arrested For Endangering Child: PD A 26-year-old mom called 911 for a smoking baseboard heat she believed could cause a fire, and ended up getting arrested and charged with child endangerment, Lititz Borough of Police Department officials announced on Monday, July 1.  Maricruz Alvarado-Blanco, the 20 block of Main Street in Lititz, called 911 "regarding a baseboard heater smoking and creating a fire hazard" at 10:46 p.m. on Wednesday, June 26, according to the police release.  Police officers were called to investigate, and the following happened, as stated in the release: "While inside the apartment, officers dis…
Abuse Of 3 Lititz Kids Lands York Child Pornographer 140 Year Sentence: DA Abuse Of 3 Lititz Kids Lands York Child Pornographer 140 Year Sentence: DA
Abuse Of 3 Lititz Kids Lands York Child Pornographer 140 Year Sentence: DA A York man — already in federal prison for child pornography charges — who was convicted of child abuse in Lititz in less than 25 minutes has been sentenced, the Lancaster County District Attorney's office announced on Thursday, June 27. George Wakeley, 62 of the 3400 block of Bull Road in York, was found guilty of 17 child abuse offenses on March 18, 2024, the DA's office detailed in the release. He was sentenced to 64 to 140 years in prison on the morning of Wednesday, June 26 by Lancaster County Judge Jeffrey Conrad. A two-day day trial was held before Judge Jeffrey Conrad. After less th…
Lititz Dad-To-Be Sentenced For Repeatedly Abusing Toddler Until Leg Broke Lititz Dad-To-Be Sentenced For Repeatedly Abusing Toddler Until Leg Broke
Lititz Dad-To-Be Sentenced For Repeatedly Abusing Toddler Until Leg Broke A mere two days before a child abuser was sentenced for breaking a toddler's leg and leaving bruises on "nearly every surface of this child’s body" as  Lancaster County Assistant District Attorney Jennifer Ponessa said  — he took to social media to announce that he and his wife are expecting a baby girl.  Timofey "Tim" Igor Freint, 30 of the 2200 block of Furnace Hills Pike in Lititz, pleaded guilty in March 2024 to Felony Aggravated Assault, Endangering the Welfare of a Child, Misdemeanor Recklessly Endangering Another Person, and Felony Aggravated Assault of Victim Less…
SENTENCED! Etown Man Who Carried Woman's Groceries Home Then Raped Her SENTENCED! Etown Man Who Carried Woman's Groceries Home Then Raped Her
Sentenced! Etown Man Who Carried Woman's Groceries Home Then Raped Her A 36-year-old Elizabethtown man has been sentenced after raping a woman he had just helped, the Lancaster County District Attorney's Office announced on Tuesday, May 28. Drew Deshong also known as Carlos Cartagena pleaded guilty to charges of aggravated indecent assault without consent, aggravated indecent assault – forcible compulsion, aggravated assault, strangulation, false identification to law enforcement, possession of methamphetamine, attempted involuntary deviate sexual intercourse, and indecent assault.  He was sentenced to serve 6 ½ to 13 years as set by Judge Dennis Reinaker…
Columbia Convict Sentenced For Fatally Shooting Mississippi Man At Manheim Night: DA Columbia Convict Sentenced For Fatally Shooting Mississippi Man At Manheim Night: DA
Columbia Convict Sentenced For Fatally Shooting Mississippi Man At Manheim Night: DA Club23 may have closed nearly a year ago, but a deadly shooting at the Lancaster County nightclub will never be forgotten by a Mississippi family.  Jatavis Devonte Scott, 25 of Mound Bayou, MS, died at Lancaster General Hospital on March 19 not long after he was shot by Tyler Jamel Wilson, now 29 of Columbia, PA, the Lancaster County District Attorney's office announced. Wilson was sentenced to 25 to 50 years in prison on Tuesday, May 28, 2024, according to the Lancaster DA's office.  Wilson "was found guilty by [a] jury of third-degree murder, persons not to posse…
Swollen, Bruised Victim Prompts Investigation Of PA Caregiver, Police Say Swollen, Bruised Victim Prompts Investigation Of PA Caregiver, Police Say
Swollen, Bruised Victim Prompts Investigation Of PA Caregiver, Police Say Warrants have been issued for the arrest of a 59-year-old Lancaster County woman accused of abusing a care-dependent victim of an assisted living facility she had been working at, police said. Lori Van Ingen, of Mountville, became the center of an investigation on Jan. 3, when police learned that a care-dependent resident of an assisted living facility had come to the emergency room with bruising and swelling to her head, face, jaw, and ankle, around 9:55 p.m., Lititz police said. The victim also had tenderness in her abdomen, and one of her eyes had been swollen shut. Authorities learned t…
GUILTY: 9-Year-Old's Rapist Convicted After 30 Minutes Of Deliberation In LanCo, DA Says GUILTY: 9-Year-Old's Rapist Convicted After 30 Minutes Of Deliberation In LanCo, DA Says
Guilty: 9-Year-Old's Rapist Convicted After 30 Minutes Of Deliberation In LanCo, DA Says A Pennsylvania man has been convicted of rape charges after a two-day trial and 30 minutes of jury deliberations this week, authorities announced. Timothy Barker, 48, of Leola, was between the age of 40 and 44 at the time of the abuse, which began in 2018 when Barker was in a caregiving role to the victim, the Lancaster County District Attorney's Office said. Barker told the victim he wanted to “teach her how to use her body correctly," according to the DA's office. The victim disclosed the abuse when she was 17 and was interviewed in 2023 by the Lancaster County Children’s Alliance af…
'Black Puppies Not Selling:' Canine Killer Free On $10K Bail, LanCo DA Says 'Black Puppies Not Selling:' Canine Killer Free On $10K Bail, LanCo DA Says
'Black Puppies Not Selling:' Canine Killer Free On $10K Bail, LanCo DA Says A Pennsylvania man is facing charges for killing four dogs he said because they weren't selling, authorities announced. Police were called to 46-year-old John S. Stoltzfus Jr.'s Hollander Road home in New Holland on Oct. 31, 2023 for the death of four black Sheepadoodle puppies named Tammy, Terry, Todd, and Tom, the Lancaster County District Attorney's Office said. New Holland Police had gotten a complaint from an employee at Greenfield Puppies, which received a call from Stoltzfus asking to take the four puppies off their website because he'd put them to sleep because the "black puppi…
PA Mom, Daughter Of Convicted Rapist, Arrested On Incest Charges: DA PA Mom, Daughter Of Convicted Rapist, Arrested On Incest Charges: DA
PA Mom, Daughter Of Convicted Rapist, Arrested On Incest Charges: DA A registered sex offender is back behind bars after allegedly threatening his grandchildren with a gun. His daughter — who is also accused of incest with her children — who was at large for weeks was arrested on May 8, according to court documents obtained by Daily Voice and an updated release by the Lancaster County District Attorney's Office on Friday, May 10. The warrant for the arrest of Sarah Lee Miller, also known as Sara Souder, was announced on her 35th birthday, May 8, court records show. Her last known address was in Nanticoke, Luzerne County. She was taken into cust…
Ex-SNAP Outreach Coordinator Who Killed Neighbor's Dog Sentenced: Lancaster DA Ex-SNAP Outreach Coordinator Who Killed Neighbor's Dog Sentenced: Lancaster DA
Ex-snap Outreach Coordinator Who Killed Neighbor's Dog Sentenced: Lancaster DA A woman, who according to her social media was a SNAP Outreach Coordinator for the Central PA Food Bank at the time of her crimes, has pleaded guilty and been sentenced "for assaulting her neighbor and killing the neighbor’s five-month-old Chihuahua," the Lancaster County District Attorney's Office said in a release on Wednesday, May 1.  Loyna Dejesus-Osorio, also known as Loyna De Jesus, was sentenced to seven years of probation for the assault and puppycide which took place in the 100 block of Old Dorwart Street in Lancaster on Sept. 25, 2022, as detailed by the DA.  The 53-year…
PA Woman Pleads Guilty To Delivering Deadly Dose Of Fentanyl: Prosecutors PA Woman Pleads Guilty To Delivering Deadly Dose Of Fentanyl: Prosecutors
PA Woman Pleads Guilty To Delivering Deadly Dose Of Fentanyl: Prosecutors A Harleysville woman was convicted of bringing a 56-year-old the dose of fentanyl that killed them nearly two years ago.  Valerie Benatti, 29, pleaded guilty to drug delivery resulting in death on Wednesday, May 1, according to the Lancaster County District Attorney's Office.  Authorities said they were called to a home on the 100 block of Slackwater Road in Conestoga Township for a suspected overdose on Aug. 20, 2022. An autopsy later revealed the victim died from acute fentanyl toxicity, the DA's Office said.  Witnesses later told police that Benatti pr…
250+ Grams of Meth, 14 Grams Of Coke, 67 Clonazepam Pills, Guns Found In Lancaster County Home 250+ Grams of Meth, 14 Grams Of Coke, 67 Clonazepam Pills, Guns Found In Lancaster County Home
250+ Grams of Meth, 14 Grams Of Coke, 67 Clonazepam Pills, Guns Found In Lancaster County Home A massive drug bust was made after a man was recorded selling an undercover officer methamphetamine, the Lancaster County District Attorney's office announced on Tuesday, April 23. Chene Karma Skowronek, 44 of the 2100 block of Kramer Mill Road in Stevens, East Cocalico Township has been under investigation by the Lancaster County Drug Task Force since he first sold methamphetamine to an undercover member in Dec. 2023, as detailed in DA's release.   Since that then, Skowronek "made multiple undercover/confidential informant purchases using pre-recorded money from the defendan…
MURDER-SUICIDE: Police ID Husband, Wife Found Dead In Lancaster County Home MURDER-SUICIDE: Police ID Husband, Wife Found Dead In Lancaster County Home
Murder-suicide: Police ID Husband, Wife Found Dead In Lancaster County Home Police have identified the couple found dead in what they say was a murder-suicide in a Lancaster County home early Wednesday, April 10. Mark E. Shepherd, 71, shot his wife Diane L. Shepherd, 63, and then himself in their home on the 300 block of Sun Hill Road in Penn Township, bringing police to the scene just after 4 a.m., Northern Lancaster County Regional Police said. The couple's extended family was inside the home at the time of the incident. They told police that they awoke to a loud domestic-related argument between Mark and Diane occurring in a separate part of the home. Multi…
Breakfast Shake Package Full of Psilocybin Mushrooms Found In Drug Dealer's Lititz Home: DA Breakfast Shake Package Full of Psilocybin Mushrooms Found In Drug Dealer's Lititz Home: DA
Breakfast Shake Package Full of Psilocybin Mushrooms Found In Drug Dealer's Lititz Home: DA Ghost guns, methamphetamine, and psilocybin mushrooms stuffed inside a protein powder breakfast shake container were all found at a Littiz's man's home by the Lancaster Drug Task Force, the district attorney announced on Monday, April 1.  Timothy Jason Sherrin, 41 of the 500 block of Greenhowe Drive, had allegedly stuffed the mushrooms in a Carnation Breakfast Essentials Rich Milk Chocolate package and had other illegal items throughout his home, as discovered during the warranted search at 2:24 p.m. on March 21, according to the Lancaster County District Attorney's Offic…
Bucks County Man 'Degloved' Cat's Chin, Faces Animal Cruelty Charge: Lancaster DA Bucks County Man 'Degloved' Cat's Chin, Faces Animal Cruelty Charge: Lancaster DA
Bucks County Man 'Degloved' Cat's Chin, Faces Animal Cruelty Charge: Lancaster DA A Bucks County man is charged with animal abuse after prosecutors say he badly injured a cat in Lancaster County.  Richard Swangler, a Bristol resident who "has been living in West Hempfield Township for the past several months," is being held in lieu of a $15,000 bail, said the Lancaster County District Attorney's Office.  Authorities said Swangler reported a wild animal "which he believed to be a jaguar" was inside his home on the 100 block of W. Broad Street on March 3.  Officers arrived and saw bite marks on the 56-year-old's arms but found no wild animal,…
Teen Girl Killed By DUI Dad In Central PA Crash, Authorities Teen Girl Killed By DUI Dad In Central PA Crash, Authorities
Teen Girl Killed By DUI Dad In Central PA Crash, Authorities A 37-year-old dad is behind bars approximately two and a half years after he caused a crash that killed a teenage passenger in his vehicle, the Lancaster County District Attorney's Office announced on Friday, March 1.  Jeremy Leonard of the first block of South Belmont Road in Paradise, was on schedule 1 drugs when he crashed a blue Honda Civic into a tree in the first block of Corner Ketch Road in Paradise Township at approximately 8:16 p.m. on July 13, 2021 — killing Kamryn Darlene Elwood, authorities detailed in several releases over the years since the crash.  …
Child Rapist Who Hid Ex-GF's Daughter In Freezer Sentenced: Lancaster DA Child Rapist Who Hid Ex-GF's Daughter In Freezer Sentenced: Lancaster DA
Child Rapist Who Hid Ex-GF's Daughter In Freezer Sentenced: Lancaster DA A 40-year-old registered sex offender has admitted to raping his ex-girlfriend and her daughter before killing the 12-year-old and hiding her body in a freezer, the Lancaster County District Attorney's Office announced on Friday, March. 1.  Jason Shackelford, of the 500 block of Avenue H in Columbia, PA, "admitted guilt on charges of first-degree murder, rape of a child, two counts of rape, three counts of involuntary deviate sexual intercourse, four counts of sexual assault, and strangulation," the DA stated in the release.  Elaina Smith of Columbia Borough was raped, strang…
VA Man Who Came To PA For Sex With Child Stays For Prison Sentence: DA VA Man Who Came To PA For Sex With Child Stays For Prison Sentence: DA
VA Man Who Came To PA For Sex With Child Stays For Prison Sentence: DA A Virginia man who pleaded guilty in connection to traveling to Pennsylvania to have sex with a child has been sentenced, the Lancaster County District Attorney's office announced on Tuesday, Feb. 20.  Tanner Iskra, 38 of the 2100 block of Harpoon Drive, Stafford, VA, pleaded guilty in Sept. 2023 to attempted statutory sexual assault (11 years older), attempted corruption of minors, and criminal use of a communication facility, DA Heather Adams detailed in the release.  Iskra was sentenced to 11-23 months in prison, eight years of probation, and he must register as a sex offender …
Child Found Manheim Mom Murdered, Manhunt For Husband Continues: Affidavit Child Found Manheim Mom Murdered, Manhunt For Husband Continues: Affidavit
Child Found Manheim Mom Murdered, Manhunt For Husband Continues: Affidavit New details have been released about a mom's murder as a manhunt continues for her husband. ***UPDATE: MATTHEW HARRISON Was CAPTURED On Thursday evening, Feb. 8; CLICK HERE TO READ OUR FULL REPORT*** ORIGINAL REPORT: Matthew Scott Harrison, 48 of Manheim, originally of Hellam, is on the run after his wife was found dead by a child on Monday, Feb. 5, according to court documents obtained by Daily Voice. Jami Harrison's daughter told police that her mom and her husband Matthew Harrison argued on Friday, Feb. 2, according to the affidavit of probable cause. Matthew had separated from his wi…