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Berks County District Attorney's Office

Cigarette Butt Leads To NJ Suspect's Arrest In 2012 West Reading Diner Killing: DA Cigarette Butt Leads To NJ Suspect's Arrest In 2012 West Reading 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 PA, DA Says Undercover Bust: 5 People Seeking Sex With Teens Met By Detectives In PA, DA Says
Undercover Bust: 5 People Seeking Sex With Teens Met By Detectives In PA, 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…
PA Mom Sentenced For Stabbing Fiance To Death While Daughter Was Home: DA PA 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…
Berks Bicyclist Was Found By Brother After Deadly Hit-Run: DA Berks Bicyclist Was Found By Brother After Deadly Hit-Run: DA
Berks Bicyclist Was Found By Brother After Deadly Hit-Run: DA 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 Berks Co. Killer Captured By US Marshals In Philadelphia: Cops Toddler's Berks Co. Killer Captured By US Marshals In Philadelphia: Cops
Toddler's Berks Co. 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…
Berks Taxi Driver Killer Learns His Sentence Berks Taxi Driver Killer Learns His Sentence
Berks Taxi Driver Killer Learns His Sentence The Reading man who stabbed a cab driver to death will spend decades in a Pennsylvania state prison, authorities say.  Johnny Palaguachi, 28, was sentenced to 20 to 40 years behind bars on Wednesday, March 15, said Berks County District Attorney John T. Adams in a statement.  He had previously pleaded guilty to third-degree murder and abuse of a corpse, the DA's office noted.  Investigators have said that on Aug. 8, 2021, Palaguachi called for a cab and was picked up by taxi driver Darlyn De La Rosa-Abreu. The pair got into a "verbal altercation" before Palaguachi attac…
Eight Suspects Arrested In Berks County Human Trafficking Sting: DA Eight Suspects Arrested In Berks County Human Trafficking Sting: DA
Eight Suspects Arrested In Berks County Human Trafficking Sting: DA The Berks County District Attorney's Office reports eight arrests following a two-day human trafficking sting operation, officials announced.  On Monday and Tuesday, March 13 and 14, the DA's Human Trafficking Task Force seeded advertisements across "websites commonly used for sex trade," offering "sexual relations with minors at a predetermined location in Berks County," prosecutors said in a release.  Throughout the course of the two days, eight individuals showed up to the rendezvous site and were arrested, DA John T. Adams said.  “The harsh reality is that human tra…
Suspect Charged With 2016 Killing Of Berks Biker Suspect Charged With 2016 Killing Of Berks Biker
Suspect Charged With 2016 Killing Of Berks Biker Nearly seven years after the fact, a suspect is charged with the 2016 murder of a motorcyclist in Berks County, District Attorney John T. Adams announced.  Darrell A. Johnson, a 37-year-old Pottstown resident, was charged with murder, robbery, aggravated assault, and related counts after he was taken into custody Tuesday, Feb. 28, the DA said.  According to investigators, Johnson was responsible for the botched robbery that killed 28-year-old Michael Shields on Aug. 6, 2016. Prosecutors say Shields and his friend were on the 600 block of East Ben Franklin Highway in Amity Township…
Fentanyl, Cocaine Worth $4.3M Seized In Takedown Of Massive PA Drug Ring, DA Says Fentanyl, Cocaine Worth $4.3M Seized In Takedown Of Massive PA Drug Ring, DA Says
Fentanyl, Cocaine Worth $4.3M Seized In Takedown Of Massive PA Drug Ring, DA Says Nearly thirty people are facing criminal charges after authorities dismantled a "large-scale" operation that trafficked drugs from Mexico and Puerto Rico to Pennsylvania, with nearly $4.3 million worth of fentanyl and cocaine seized as evidence, authorities said. In an early-morning roundup on Thursday, Dec. 1, a total of 22 adults were taken into custody, said Berks District Attorney John T. Adams and Montgomery District Attorney Kevin R. Steele in a joint statement.  Posted by Berks County District Attorney on Thursday, December 1, 2022 Posted by Berks County District Attorney on T…
18-Year-Old Shot Dead At Reading Student Housing Complex 18-Year-Old Shot Dead At Reading Student Housing Complex
18-Year-Old Shot Dead At Reading Student Housing Complex An 18-year-old man was shot and killed in Reading, authorities said. Diego Velazquez was shot around 12:50 a.m. at the Blady Road-Advantage Point off-campus student-housing development in Maxatawny Township, the Lehigh County Coroner's Office said. Velazquez's death, which occurred near Kutztown University, was ruled a homicide with an autopsy scheduled for Monday, Nov. 14. In addition to the coroner's office, this death is being investigated by the Pennsylvania State Police, Reading Station and the Berks County District Attorney's Office.
Reading Teacher Charged With Sexual Assault Of 13-Year-Old Student: DA Reading Teacher Charged With Sexual Assault Of 13-Year-Old Student: DA
Reading Teacher Charged With Sexual Assault Of 13-Year-Old Student: DA A Berks County middle school teacher has been arrested on accusations he groomed a 13-year-old student, sending sexually explicit photos and videos online — and sexually abused them in his car on at least one occasion, authorities said. Michael J. Conner, 38, a teacher at Central Middle School in Reading, used social media to engage with the student — a relationship that eventually turned sexual in nature, the Berks County District Attorney's Office said in a statement on Monday, Oct. 17. The tip came to authorities last month from a Childline referral from the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania…
Former NFL Player Killed In Pennsylvania Bar Shooting Former NFL Player Killed In Pennsylvania Bar Shooting
Former NFL Player Killed In Pennsylvania Bar Shooting Authorities have identified the 32-year-old man slain at a Berks County bar in the early morning hours of Sunday. Oct. 16 as former NFL cornerback Antonio Dennard.  Dennard was shot dead at Legends bar on North 5th Street Highway in Muhlenberg Township just after 3 a.m. Sunday morning, according to the Berks County Coroner's Office and a report by WFMZ. Officials said the official cause of death is pending further examination. An autopsy has been scheduled for Tuesday, Oct. 18, the Coroner's Office added.  Muhlenberg Township police and the Berks County District Attorney's Office…
Police Shoot Wanted Man After Vehicle Strikes Officer Outside Reading Wawa: DA Police Shoot Wanted Man After Vehicle Strikes Officer Outside Reading Wawa: DA
Police Shoot Wanted Man After Vehicle Strikes Officer Outside Reading Wawa: DA Police shot a wanted man in Reading on Wednesday, Sept. 14, after an officer was struck by the car he was driving, authorities said. Officers on patrol around 4:45 p.m. saw Emanuel Padilla Tirado, 31, driving a 2012 Chevrolet Malibu, which was later parked at the Wawa on the 400 block of Lancaster Avenue, according to the Berks County District Attorney's Office. Investigators had been searching for Padilla Tirado and were aware that there was an active felony warrant for his arrest.  He had been wanted on aggravated assault charges stemming from a shooting that happened on Sept. 9 at …
Ex-PA EMS Chief Hit With New Charges After Second Hidden Camera Found, Authorities Say Ex-PA EMS Chief Hit With New Charges After Second Hidden Camera Found, Authorities Say
Ex-PA EMS Chief Hit With New Charges After Second Hidden Camera Found, Authorities Say A former EMS chief in Pennsylvania who used a hidden camera to record nearly a dozen victims — two of whom were minors — in the station's women's bathroom, will be facing additional charges after a second hidden camera was discovered inside his home, authorities said. Jason S. McCully, the former head of the Elverson-Honey Brook Area EMS department, was newly charged on Sept. 12, according to the Berks County District Attorney's Office. Investigators have accused McCully, 39, of secretly recording two women, including a juvenile, on a hidden camera in the bathroom of his home on the 2900 …
Trustee Convicted Of Stealing $100K From PA Bar With Expired Liquor License Trustee Convicted Of Stealing $100K From PA Bar With Expired Liquor License
Trustee Convicted Of Stealing $100K From PA Bar With Expired Liquor License A 51-year-old woman was convicted of stealing more than $100,000 from the Pennsylvania bar she worked at for more than a decade, authorities said. Vycky Macri, of Reading, was found guilty Friday, Sept. 9 of theft by unlawful taking and failure to make required disposition of funds, according to the Berks County District Attorney's Office. An investigation into Macri was launched in February 2020, after detectives received a complaint relating to the discovery of financial irregularities at the Shillington Social Quarters. Macri has been affiliated with the bar since 2008. During her …
PA Man Sentenced In Crash That Killed Tow Truck Driver On I-78 In Berks Co. PA Man Sentenced In Crash That Killed Tow Truck Driver On I-78 In Berks Co.
PA Man Sentenced In Crash That Killed Tow Truck Driver On I-78 In Berks Co. A 31-year-old Pennsylvania man was sentenced to two to seven years in state prison for his role in a crash that claimed the life of a tow truck driver on I-78 in Berks County, authorities said. Allen Putman, of Johnstown, previously pleaded guilty to homicide by vehicle, endangering the welfare of children, and DUI for the July 21, 2020, crash that left 29-year-old Tyler A. Laudenslager dead, according to the Berks County District Attorney's Office. Laudenslager was working a roadside assistance call on the shoulder of the highway in Bethel Township when Putman's vehicle stru…
Berks County Man Charged With Raping Two Girls Over Course Of Several Years Berks County Man Charged With Raping Two Girls Over Course Of Several Years
Berks County Man Charged With Raping Two Girls Over Course Of Several Years A Berks County man was arrested on a slew of charges Wednesday, Aug. 17 for sexually abusing two girls over the course of five years, authorities said. James D. Fisher, 59, remained held Thursday, Aug. 25 in the Berks County Jail on an unrelated offense, the Berks County District Attorney's Office said. An investigation into Fisher began on Monday, July 11, after the Central Berks Regional Police Department received a complaint from two girls who claimed that they had been sexually abused by Fisher when they were seven years old, authorities said. The alleged sexual abuse happened bet…
Berks County Drug Dealer Busted With Heroin, Fentanyl, Crack Cocaine In Raid: DA Berks County Drug Dealer Busted With Heroin, Fentanyl, Crack Cocaine In Raid: DA
Berks County Drug Dealer Busted With Heroin, Fentanyl, Crack Cocaine In Raid: DA Thousands of dollars worth of heroin and fentanyl was seized along with bags of crack cocaine when police raided the home of an accused drug dealer in Berks County, authorities said. Eduardo Martinez, 43, was arrested following the warranted search of his Court Street home in Reading on Wednesday, Aug. 24, the Berks County District Attorney's Office said. An investigation began in July when detectives with the DA's office identified Martinez as a “street-level” to “mid-level” dealer who was selling heroin and/or fentanyl in the city, they said. Investigators later discovered…
PA EMS Chief Recorded Women, Kids On Hidden Bathroom Camera, Authorities Say PA EMS Chief Recorded Women, Kids On Hidden Bathroom Camera, Authorities Say
PA EMS Chief Recorded Women, Kids On Hidden Bathroom Camera, Authorities Say A now-former EMS chief in Pennsylvania used a hidden camera to record nearly a dozen victims — two of whom were minors —  in the station's women's bathroom over the course of seven months, authorities said. Jason S. McCully, 39, of Morgantown, was arrested Monday, Aug. 22, nearly three months after officers discovered a small camera hidden inside a toiletry bag on the restroom sink inside the Elverson-Honey Brook Area EMS building on Main Street in Caernarvon Township, according to the Berks County District Attorney's Office. Elverson, PA – August 23- 2022 – Elverson Pa. Yesterday, we…
Gunman Wanted In Reading Homicide Nabbed In Puerto Rico Gunman Wanted In Reading Homicide Nabbed In Puerto Rico
Gunman Wanted In Reading Homicide Nabbed In Puerto Rico A 20-year-old Pennsylvania man was arrested in Puerto Rico Friday, Aug. 19 in connection with the killing of a Reading man last month, officials said. Luis Cepeda-Morales aka “Oriel" is accused of shooting Edwin Rivera-Valentin on the 400 block of Spring Garden Street on Sunday, July 31, Reading police said. Rivera-Valentin was pronounced dead at the scene, authorities said. Cepeda-Morales was identified as the gunman and later charged with first and third-degree murder, aggravated assault and recklessly endangering another person. Berks County District Attorney John T. Adams has approve…
SOLVED: Details To Be Released In 1988 Cold Case Murder Of Woman In Berks County SOLVED: Details To Be Released In 1988 Cold Case Murder Of Woman In Berks County
Solved: Details To Be Released In 1988 Cold Case Murder Of Woman In Berks County UPDATE: 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. ***Original story below*** Authorities have solved a decades-old cold case murder in Berks County. PA State Police and the Berks County District Attorney's Office are expected to release details about the killing of 26-year-old Anna Jean Kane during a joint press conference scheduled for Thursday, Aug. 18 at 11 a.m. Kane was found beaten and strangled to death on October 23, 1988, authorities said. Her body was dumped alongside Ontelaunee Trail …