Break-in probed
at oil company
PORT CARBON - State police at Schuylkill Haven are looking for the burglars who broke into vehicles and tried to break open an oil storage tank at Liberty Oil Co. over Christmas.
Police said between 2 a.m. Dec. 25 and 6:30 a.m. Dec. 26, someone cut a metal link chain to the main gate and tried to enter the main building at 2 Main St., by breaking a door handle, but were unable to get in. The person or persons rummaged through trucks owned by Everdale Trucking Inc. and took miscellaneous items, including five heavy-duty copper electrical cables, police said.
The burglars also cut a chain connected to a storage tank containing 20,000 gallons of oil and tried to open a valve. They cut an electrical feed used to fill trucks and flipped down overhead pipes used to fill tanks. In the process, they caused a minimal amount of oil to spill on the lot, police said.
The person or persons cut through a section of metal fence at the rear of the property and fled on foot along the railroad tracks toward the bridge at Palo Alto, police said.
Anyone with information is asked to call police at 570-593-2000.
Woman injured
in crash on I-81
EAST FRANKLIN - A woman from Effort, Monroe County, suffered injuries in a one-vehicle accident on Interstate 81 on Dec. 26, police said.
State police at Jonestown said at 5:50 p.m., Giraud R. Latulippe, 65, was driving a 2011 Hyundai Sonata north when he slid out of control near mile marker 107.1, spinning the car and hitting a jersey barrier.
While Latulippe escaped injury, his passenger, Debra L. Latulippe, 54, suffered chest pain, but police did not know the severity. She was taken by Tremont EMS to Schuylkill Medical Center-East Norwegian Street for treatment, police said.
Police charged the driver with speeding.
3 vehicles
damaged in crash
FRACKVILLE - Three vehicles sustained damage in an accident Dec. 24, police said.
Borough police said Deneen L. Reese, 382 W. Main St., Ringtown, was headed south at 10 a.m. on Mahanoy Street in a 2012 Honda Civic and stopped at a stop sign at East Oak Street. Since traffic was backed up at the intersection, she was unable to see and started to inch out, police said.
As she crossed, she drove into the path of a 1997 Chevy Blazer driven by Ronald Sborz, 117 E. Frack St., Frackville. Police said Sborz hit Reese's right rear-door quarter panel and Reese's vehicle spun, traveled backwards over the sidewalk and into a parked vehicle, a 2004 Ford F-150 owned by James R. Betchel, 45 Broad Mountain Ave.
Sborz complained of head pain but Reese was not injured, police said.
Reese's vehicle was towed from the scene, and Sborz's vehicle sustained moderate front-end damage but was driven from the scene, police said.
2 escape injury
in I-81 accident
SUEDBERG - Two people from Harrisonburg, Va., escaped injury when their vehicle slid off Interstate 81 in Pine Grove Township on Saturday afternoon and struck a guide rail, police said.
State police at Jonestown said Charles J. Sherback, 57, was driving a 2009 Nissan Versa south at 1:29 p.m. and traveled onto the ramp leading to Route 443, which is Suedberg Road. In the process, the vehicle slide off the right side of the road and struck a sign then a guide rail, police said.
Police said Sherback and a passenger, Karen Sherback, 54, were not injured. The driver was charged with speeding, police said.
Man charged
with DUI
PINE GROVE - State police at Jonestown charged a man from Nanticoke, Luzerne County, with driving under the influence following an incident Wednesday on Interstate 81.
Police said they spotted a vehicle in a ditch on a berm alongside the interstate near mile marker 100 at 6:56 p.m. The investigation revealed the vehicle had been traveling north when the driver, Edwin Markiewicz Jr., 56, lost control, drove across the grass median separating I-81 North from I-81 South and stopped in the ditch, police said.
When police interviewed Markiewicz, he showed signs of intoxication. As the investigation continued, police filed charges against him in the office of Magisterial District Judge Carol A. Pankake, Tremont, police said.
Man charged
for bad checks
PORT CARBON - A 36-year-old Pottsville man was charged by Port Carbon police with bad checks after an incident on Oct. 12.
Police said Robert J. Weiss allegedly issued a check in the amount of $240 to Liberty Oil Co., Port Carbon, that was returned due to "non-sufficient funds."
Police said Weiss will have to answer before Magisterial District Judge David A. Plachko, Port Carbon.
Pottsville
man charged
PORT CARBON - Port Carbon police arrested a 52-year-old Pottsville man Thursday on a warrant issued by Magisterial District Judge David A. Plachko.
Police said John J. Kamant was jailed on an unrelated matter and now faces charges of criminal attempt to commit burglary, criminal attempt to commit theft and criminal trespass.
Police said the charges stem from an incident on Sept. 26, 2010, when Kamant lived at a home in the 200 block of Jackson Street in Port Carbon.
Police said neighbors reported someone tried to break into the home but was scared off by the family dog.
The intruder accidentally left a pair of sunglasses at the scene that were sent to the state police crime laboratory and determined, through DNA, to belong to Kamant, police said.
On the latest charges, Plachko set bail for Kamant at $25,000, police said.
2 not injured
in I-81 mishap
TREMONT - Two people escaped injury when their vehicle went off Interstate 81 in Tremont Township on Dec. 26, police said.
State police at Jonestown said Anastasia I. Reader, 25, of Greenbelt, Md., was driving a 2001 Nissan Pathfinder south when she slid out of control and the vehicle spun clockwise, left the road and tipped onto its side, police said.
Reader and her passenger, Ian H. Goldberg, 25, of Otisville, N.Y., were not hurt, police said, noting that Reader was charged with speeding as a result of the accident.
Police probe
smashed window
PORT CARBON - Port Carbon police are investigating a criminal mischief incident that was reported to police on Friday.
Police said Mary Riotto, Palo Alto, reported she was driving her 2001 Nissan Sentra Sedan north on Coal Street about 9 p.m. when someone threw an object that smashed her rear window on Cherry Street.
Anyone with information is asked to call police at 570-622-5411 and refer to incident 1200630.