Man backs a car into a house in Berwick

BERWICK - Police are searching for a man who backed a stolen car into a house here after a fight with a girlfriend, witnesses say. The man, who witnesses identified as Dale Lau, 19, of Sunbury, had been staying with his girlfriend Katelyn Mickel at the home of Janel Marks, 19, and Alexis Shaffer, 20, at 618 N. Vine St. But late Friday morning, Marks said he took her Oldsmobile Alero without her permission. Lau was in the car on an alley running parallel to Vine Street when he and Mickel, who was out walking her dog, got into an argument, witnesses said.

AMBER ALERT: Police look for girl from Gordon

BUTLER TWP. - Police were looking Thursday night for a 10-year-old girl who they say was abducted earlier in the day from Schuylkill County. Police say that Alexandria Jade Long, 10, who is 4-foot-10 and 100 pounds with short brown hair, hazel eyes and black wire-frame glasses was abducted from her home in Gordon by Peter Tarbox, a 39-year-old white male with brown hair, around 4:30 p.m.. He was driving a green Saab with unknown New York registration, police say. They believe he is taking Long to New York State. They ask anyone with information to call 9-1-1.

Car in reverse smashes into house along Route 42

IOLA -- Carl Dildine Sr. couldn't get his car out of reverse as it sped up through the Dollar General parking lot and then across John Orlaski's side yard on Thursday afternoon, he said. Dildine's Taurus kept going faster, said Orlaski, who sat watching on a chair swing near the front of his house as the Ford scraped the rear ends of two cars in the parking lot and then drove more than 200 feet "at full throttle" across his lawn at 2928 State Route 42.

Police collar 3 in yet another meth bust; 1 still sought

SALEM TWP. -- Just a day after police made meth busts in Berwick and on Columbia County's south side, officers in Salem Township have arrested three more people allegedly involved in meth production or sales. One of those collared is Jeremy Broyan, the man Berwick police were looking for when they happened upon a meth lab Wednesday on Summerhill Road, police say. Police charged Broyan, 33, Berwick, in Luzerne County this afternoon. Two others were also arraigned, Alan Kmietowicz, 58, Benton, and Karl Baucher, 26, Berwick.

Cops charge Catawissa man with meth making

CATAWISSA - Police officers found evidence of a meth lab in a Main Street home here after looking through garbage a man had placed on public property, they say. On Tuesday night, officers saw Todd James McCarthy, 34, 407 E. Main St., setting garbage bags outside his house on the sidewalk, according to arrest papers. They had heard from informants that McCarthy had been cooking methamphetamine, so later that night they returned to his property and picked up four bags.

Girl struck by two cars after running into street, witnesses say

BERWICK -- A 15-year-old girl came within inches of having her head run over by a car after she ran out into traffic and then pinballed off two cars on Front Street Wednesday afternoon, witnesses said. She was taken to Geisinger Medical Center by helicopter after the 4 p.m. crash. near Front Street's intersection with Orange Street, The girl was standing at the corner of Front and Ida streets near the Sunoco gas station, when she and a male friend ran out into traffic, witnesses said.

Meth lab busted, two in custody, police say

BERWICK -- Police have two men in custody and are looking for a third after officers discovered an apparent meth lab at 137 Summerhill Ave. Homeowner Brian McLellan, 44, and Stanley Lunger, 37, are being held, according to the search warrant. Police have not yet charged the pair. Officers arrested the two when they found meth precursors while looking for someone else wanted for meth making: Jeremy Broyan. There's a felony arrest warrant out for Broyan. Officers say their find was not a planned raid on the home.

The PE Sneak Peek: Aug. 12

Here's a look at the stories that are keeping our reporters busy Monday: * Demolition of a local landmark begins. We have the pictures. * A woman bilked her great-aunt of $15,000 -- and now owes $100,000 in fines, says the judge. * An ex-cop charged in a beating blames the other guy, but takes a plea deal anyway. Have a look at our online report for more. * Police suspect drunken driving in a Monday-morning crash on a winding road.

Ex-cop pleads guilty to road-rage assault

DANVILLE -- A ex-cop pleaded guilty Monday to beating and kicking another man outside a store after a reported road rage incident April 8. But Robert Weisman still says it was the other man, not he, who provoked the fight. "I'm sorry the guy got injured, but he was the aggressor," said Weisman, 37. Weisman worked as a police officer in Catawissa for six years before getting hurt during a traffic stop. He resigned in April 2011, most recently working in housecleaning at Geisinger Medical Center before losing that job.

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