JAILED ON POACHING CHARGES
Emporium man shot deer, ran from cops

An Emporium man is in Elk County Jail on charges related to a deer poaching that took place last August.

Matthew Cash Grimone, 19, was arraigned in front of District Judge Don Wilhelm Wednesday night. Wilhelm set Grimone's bail at $10,000.

Grimone faces charges of possessing an instrument of crime, criminal conspiracy, unlawful use of lights, firing in a safety zone, shooting on or across a highway, attempting to elude police and furnishing alcohol to minors.

Charges stem from an Aug. 26 incident during which Grimone is alleged to have shot a large, whitetail buck as it stood in a yard along Route 155 in Portage Township. Occupied houses surround the area where the deer was shot.

Police said Grimone stopped a 2000 Dodge pickup truck in the road, got out of the driver's seat and shot the deer two times with a .243 rifle, killing it.

Police were on the scene shortly after the shots rang out at 4:50 am. James Tressler, who was living nearby at the time, heard the shots and summoned authorities.

According to an affidavit of the Rich Valley Wesleyan filed in the office District Judge Al Brown, police arrived to find Grimone's red pickup parked along the railroad tracks. It was empty.

Across the road, one trooper found the dead deer. At the same time, the other trooper saw someone walking down the tracks with a flashlight. It was Grimone. He was looking for the injured deer, police said.

Police attempted to apprehend Grimone and an accomplice, Cliff Akins, 19, also of Emporium. The two men fled on foot; Grimone, who was carrying a rifle, tossed the weapon into the weeds and managed to get to his truck. He attempted to flee, but got the truck stuck in a ditch. Akins was later apprehended walking along the road.

Troopers searched Grimone and found a drag rope, a loaded .243 cartridge and a spent .243 cartridge. They also found a loaded .22 caliber rifle in the weeds. In the vehicle, troopers found several cans of beer, the .243 used to kill the deer and a spotlight.

In an interview with police, Grimone admitted to shooting the deer, according to the affidavit. He said he had rested on the hood of the vehicle and shot it twice with the .243.

No charges were filed against Akins. A preliminary hearing will be held Thursday at 1:15 pm at Judge Brown's office in Emporium.