POLICE REPORTS
These items were collected from various police departments:
9:55 a.m. Sept. 24 — Butler Township police were called to a two-vehicle crash on Route 8 near Aqua Jet Car Wash.Police said a vehicle driven by Edgar Sotomayor, 64, of Butler, was struck from behind by a vehicle driven by a 17-year-old boy. Police said one minor injury was reported, but that person refused treatment at the scene.Sept. 22 — Jacob R. Ruth, 22, of McKees Rocks, was charged with felony false statements during a gun purchase and misdemeanor false statement, related to an attempted purchase July 19, 2020, of a long gun at Walmart in Butler Township.Police said Ruth lied on the form and was denied the purchase.Sept. 20 — Police said a set of keys were found on Old Plank Road on Sept. 19.Police said whoever they belong to can claim the keys by calling the department and providing an accurate description of them.
Sept. 21 — Two people were charged with retail theft, conspiracy and having stolen property, related to a reported theft May 14 at Walmart in Cranberry Township.Police said store employees saw Joseph M. Eliou, 28, and Cassy A. Powley, 23, both of Allison Park, putting items in a backpack. Police said the two did not scan the items before trying to leave with about $218 worth of items.Sept. 21 — Daniel M. Burns, 29, of Renfrew, was charged with a first-offense driving under the influence following an Aug. 22 crash on Unionville Road near Progress Avenue in Cranberry Township.Police said they smelled alcohol on Burns, and upon request, he handed over a number of prescription drugs and marijuana paraphernalia.Police said a later blood test was performed.Sept. 21 — Paul A. Rizzardo, 51, of Rochester, was charged with a hit and run, related to an Aug. 13 crash on Rochester Road in Cranberry Township.Police said they identified the vehicle that fled through traffic camera footage, and Rizzardo later called them upon request and said he had driven the truck.Police said Rizzardo claimed he drove a littler farther on the road and stopped to speak with the other driver, but when the other driver didn't show up, he went home.
Sept. 16 — Nicholas A. Hoffman, 32, of Ellwood City, was charged with simple assault, related to an incident at a business on the 2500 block of Evans City Road in Jackson Township.Police said a store employee reported Hoffman tried to leave without paying for two energy drinks.Police said security footage showed the employee confronting him about this, and Hoffman throws one of the energy drinks at the employee, barely missing him.
Sept. 17 — Toby S. Plaisted, 41, of Forestville, was charged with a first-offense DUI, stemming from a Sept. 12 traffic stop on North Main Street in Slippery Rock.Police said they stopped the vehicle for speeding at 78 mph in a 35 mph zone. Police said they smelled alcohol in the vehicle, and field sobriety tests showed Plaisted was impaired.Police said a later breath test showed his blood-alcohol content at 0.098%, and in Pennsylvania a level of 0.08% is considered intoxicated.Slippery Rock UniversitySept. 21 — Two students were charged with theft and having stolen property, related to a sign stolen Sept. 18 from the Lower Stadium Parking Lot on campus.Police said security footage shows Brandon T. Visconti, 21, of Pittsburgh, and Travis Nicholas, 22, of Slippery Rock, stealing signs and a campus employee chasing them down and recovering the signs. The two signs were valued at $35 each.
Sept. 24 — Nathan D. Michael, 24, of Butler, was charged with a first-offense DUI, stemming from a Sept. 6 traffic stop on Route 356 at its intersection with Lindsay Road in Summit Township.Police said they stopped the motorcycle for speeding at 70 mph in a 35 mph zone. Police said they smelled alcohol during the stop, and field sobriety tests showed Michael was impaired.Police said a later breath test showed his blood-alcohol content at 0.119%, and in Pennsylvania a level of 0.08% is considered intoxicated.Sept. 22 — John R. Schwartz, 68, of Butler, was charged with a first-offense DUI, stemming from a July 5 traffic stop on New Castle Road in Butler Township.Police said they stopped the vehicle for crossing lines on the road, and field sobriety tests showed Schwartz was impaired.Police said a later blood test showed he had hydroxyzine in his system as well as a blood-alcohol content of 0.188%. In Pennsylvania, a level of 0.08% is considered intoxicated.<b>This article was edited at 12:42 p.m. Oct. 15 to reflect that Edgar Sotomayer's vehicle was struck by a vehicle driven by a 17-year-old. An earlier report incorrectly showed that Sotomayer's vehicle struck the other. </b>
