State Police News

State police at Emporium are investigating a case of "access device fraud" taking place on Aug. 4 at the Uni-Mart. Linda Cobb lost her Visa debit card while in the store and someone used it to purchase about $60 worth of items.

An Emporium man has been arrested in connection to a June 29 break-in at the Pitt Stop Garage on Rt. 155 on June 29. State police from Emporium report that George Singer Jr. was arraigned on charges of burglary, criminal trespass, theft, receiving stolen property, attempted burglary and criminal mischief.

State police at Emporium are also continuing their investigation into a burglary and attempted burglary at the same location last Thursday night or Friday morning. Thieves broke a 20" by 12" window to gain entry into the Pitt Stop and removed various denominations of U.S. currency while causing $40 in damage. They were unsuccessful in entering Cool's Garage in the same building, but caused damage to the door.

A break-in at Driftwood is being investigated by state police from Emporium. Susan Taylor reported that her home was burglarized late last Thursday night. Among the items missing are about 150 DVD movies, approximately 50 video games and $200 in cash.

State police from Emporium are investigating an act of vandalism. Someone cut the phone line at the Jesse Becker residence in the borough.

A case of identity theft victimizing a Genesee woman is being investigated by state police at Denton Hill. Sometime in late July, someone used credit card information belonging to Kimberly Eckenrode to purchase $2,000 worth of merchandise over the Internet. Police do not know how the thief gained the information.

State police at Denton Hill are also probing a criminal trespass, vandalism and theft taking place late last week at a residence on the West Bingham Road. Someone let the air out of tires and loosened the lug nuts on a vehicle owned by Lisa Hanes of Genesee while it was parked at her home. A motion detector and camera were taken from the back porch.

Troopers at Kane are investigating a burglary taking place last weekend at D & D Stone located on Route 6, about three miles east of Route 155 in Liberty Township. Thieves took an extinguisher, voltage tester and propane torch valued at a total of $140.

A Smethport man, James Faulkner, has been charged with involuntary deviate sexual intercourse, rape, sexual assault, indecent assault, corruption of minors, simple assault and harassment. Authorities claim Faulkner, 32, sexually assaulted a 16-yearold girl on the night of Aug. 2 behind the Bradford Mall.

Two Port Allegany residents escaped injury when their car skidded off the road and landed at the edge of a pond off Fishing Creek in Roulette Township. State police said 20-year-old Raymond Austin was driving east on Atkins Road when his car veered out of control, struck a cement spring house on the Dennis Leach property and landed just shy of the pond.

The theft of cash from the Potter County Emergency Management Office and adjacent offices at Maple View in Coudersport remains under investigation by state police at Denton Hill. Some of the money was removed from a locked cash box.

Troopers at Kane are probing the theft of some aluminum cans piled up for recycling at the Mount Jewett Veterans Memorial Club. Thieves took 15 bags of crushed cans, valued at about $300, sometime late Tuesday or early Wednesday.

Charges are pending against both drivers following a collision at about 6:20 last Friday morning on Rt. 6, north of Smethport. State police at Kane say a pickup truck driven by Ronn Thompson Jr. of Shinglehouse was following a car operated by Lance Davis of Crosby. Davis turned his car to the left and it was struck by the Thompson pickup. Davis, who was treated for injuries at Bradford Regional Medical Center, faces charges of driving under the influence of alcohol and traffic violations. Thompson, who was uninjured, was cited for a summary traffic violation.

A dump truck driver escaped serious injury last Thursday when the brakes and engine on his rig failed, causing the unit to skid out of control and strike an embankment. State police at Denton Hill said Ryan Harvey, 24, of State College was traveling north on Rt. 44, between Cherry Springs State Park, and Sweden Valley, when the truck malfunctioned. The vehicle came to rest across both lanes of traffic, causing traffic to be detoured for several hours. Police said a seat belt likely saved Harvey from suffering more serious injuries.

Someone broke into a Potter County home and stole 12 firearms. State police from Denton Hill said the haul included four handguns. The break-in occurred at the home on Lent Hollow Road, north of Coudersport. The guns belong to Marion Peet of Coudersport and Robert Peet of Los Angeles, Calif.

A separate firearm theft is being probed by state police from Ridgway. They report that a custom rifle valued at $1,400 was stolen during an Elk County Friends of the National Rifle Assn. Rally between July 29 and July 31. The rifle is a Cooper .223-caliber Model 21 Varminter. It was taken either during the show at the Royal Motel or upon its arrival back at Elk County Ammo and Arms in St. Marys.

State police from Kane have charged a McKean County man with driving under the influence of alcohol and hit and run after fleeing the scene of a one-vehicle crash early Saturday morning. Police say 20-year-old Travis A. Bernhard of Westline drove his vehicle into a ditch near Lewis Run, then left on foot. Bernhard was found a short time later and taken to Bradford Regional Medical Center for treatment of injuries.

A Bradford man was injured when the motorcycle he was driving struck a deer on Interstate Parkway in Bradford Township Police. Mark Graham, 53, was northbound when a deer ran out in front of him. The cycle struck the animal, causing the vehicle to slide out of control, ejecting the driver. Graham, who was wearing a helmet, was treated at Bradford Regional Medical Center for an arm injury.

A Port Allegany man has waived his preliminary hearing on theft charges and will stand trial in McKean County Court. Michael Songer, 37, is accused of stealing $2,510 from the Port Allegany American Legion/ VFW while employed there as a manager.

Kane-based state police are looking for thieves who took a guitar and a neon beer sign from the Buck Tail Bar on Buck Tail Road in Smethport Saturday night. The items were taken by three patrons who drove off in a Chevy Silverado pickup with a diamond plate tool box in the bed.

A Port Allegany man faces numerous charges for a string of Liberty Township break-ins. Kevin A. Barber, 26, is charged with burglary, theft and criminal trespass. Police accuse him of stealing two rifles, a shotgun and cash from the Randall Hobbs residence, as well as cash from the homes of Paulette Mesler and Penny McGarvey. He also allegedly attempted to enter a home owned by Scott Dudley.

Three passengers were shaken up in a collision Sunday afternoon at the Lantz Corners intersection in Lafayette Township, McKean County. State police said the mishap occurred when 25-year-old Roy Morrow Jr. of Westfield pulled his eastbound passenger van into the path of a pickup truck being driven north on Rt. 219 driven by Elmer of Springville. Two of the seven passengers in the van received minor injuries, as did a passenger in the truck. Charges will be filed against Morrow.

State police from Denton Hill investigated two separate motorcycle accidents with 90 minutes of each other Sunday afternoon. At about 4:00, 26- year-old Charles W. Peacock of Imbler, Ore., lost control of his bike while southbound on Rt. 44 near Sweden Valley. He was treated at Charles Cole Memorial Hospital for minor injuries. Police responded to Loucks Mills Road in Hector Township at about 5:30, when Helen Traynor, 59, of Mills lost control of her motorcycle in loose gravel. She was taken to Cole Hospital for treatment of moderate injuries.

Two Port Allegany residents are charged with corrupting the morals of a minor. Raymond Austin, 20, and Meranda Payne, 18, allegedly smoked marijuana in front of a minor on two occasions. Payne is also accused of having sexual relations with the minor.