Tag: Pennsylvania
Pennsylvania Woman Killed After Falling Into Meat Grinder At Work
Unfortunately, many get paid very little for back-breaking, dangerous labor…
Woman assaults cops, EMT after losing money to pinball machine in bowling alley
A dangerously drunk Monroe woman assaulted police officers and an EMT after she lost money to a pinball machine at a Pennsylvania bowling alley.
Kilee Nicole Cunningham, 36, was asked to leave Blue Mountain Lanes on Moorestown Road Sunday night after she punched the glass of a pinball machine despite being reimbursed for the money.
Cunningham instead asked for more alcohol and chucked a cup of water in the face of an employee when he refused, Lehigh Valley Live reported.
When officers arrived at the scene to speak with her, she was uncooperative and they attempted to take her into custody for public drunkenness.
While restrained in handcuffs in a police vehicle, Cunningham unbuckled her seatbelt and continued to resist officers. She kicked an officer in the chest and headbutted him for trying to return her to the vehicle.
At the Slate Belt Regional police headquarters, she kicked an officer who tried to place her in a holding cell.
Officers requested emergency personnel to take her to a hospital for her severe intoxication.
Cunningham resisted EMTs trying to get her into an ambulance and had to have a spit hood put on her. While inside the ambulance she bit an EMT on the forearm so hard that it left marks.
She was charged with three counts of aggravated assault, three counts of simple assault, one count of resisting arrest and three related offenses, according to Lehigh Valley Live.
Cunningham was arraigned and is being held in Northampton County Prison in lieu of a $30,000 bail.
via: https://nypost.com/2019/02/20/woman-assaults-cops-emt-after-losing-money-to-pinball-machine/
Caregiver who left 4-year-old girl to die in hot car fined just $25
A Pennsylvania caregiver who left a 4-year-old child to die in a hot car two years ago was fined just $25.
After deliberating for three hours last Friday, jurors acquitted Brittany Borgess, 30, of Williamsport, of the most serious charges against her, the AP reported.
Borgess, who prosecutors said left family friend Samaria Motyka in an SUV with the windows closed for over six hours in July 2016, was acquitted of involuntary manslaughter, child endangerment and reckless endangerment.
Lycoming County Senior Judge Dudley Anderson found Borgess guilty of the summary charge of leaving a child unattended in a car. She fined her $25.
Upon hearing the verdict, several of the victim’s family and friends exploded with rage and were escorted from the courtroom for screaming profanities, Penn Live reported.
Defense attorney Peter Campana called Borgess’ actions on the day of the child’s death an “autopilot mistake.”
On the day of the tragedy, Borgess dropped her 2-year-old son, Isaac, off at his daycare. Instead of dropping family friend Samaria off at her daycare, Borgess drove straight to work, leaving the girl strapped to a booster seat in the back of the car. Williamsport temperatures hit 97 degrees that day, and Borgess parked the sweltering car in an area with no shade.
Six and a half hours later, Samaria was found unresponsive on the floor of the car with her head on the front passenger seat. She managed to get out of her booster seat, police said. Samaria’s internal temperature reached 110 degrees, according to an evaluation at Williamsport Regional Medical Center.
Campana argued Borgess was sleep deprived and stressed because she was about to get married and that she “didn’t want this to happen.”
Friends of the victim’s family started a GoFundMe page after her death. It raised $820 of its $1,000 goal.
via: https://nypost.com/2018/11/13/caregiver-who-left-4-year-old-girl-to-die-in-hot-car-fined-just-25/
Mom accused of killing her infant through drugs in breast milk
A Philadelphia-area woman who described herself as a drug addict is being held on a homicide charge after she allegedly transmitted drugs to her 11-week-old baby through her breast milk, officials said.
Samantha Jones, 30, of New Britain Township, was charged Friday with criminal homicide in the April 2 death of the infant, named R.J. in court papers.
The Bucks County District Attorney’s office said the autopsy showed the baby died after being fed breast milk containing methadone, amphetamine and methamphetamine, Fox 29 Philadelphia reported.
According to the affidavit, Jones told police she had been prescribed methadone because of an addiction to painkillers, that she had taken it during her pregnancy and that she was taking it at the time of the baby’s death, the station added.
Police found the baby in cardiac arrest after responding to a 911 call. Jones’ mother called the cops and reportedly tried CPR.
The affidavit stated that Jones said she primarily had been breastfeeding the baby, but had switched to formula three days earlier, saying the infant wasn’t getting enough milk from breastfeeding, the station reported.
Jones said that on the morning the child died, the baby was crying at 3 a.m. and she tried to breastfeed him because she was too tired to go downstairs and prepare a bottle of formula, Fox 29 added citing investigators.
She also said, according to the station, that she fed the infant formula at 6 a.m., fell asleep and then woke up to find her son pale, with bloody mucus coming from his nose.
Jones was held in lieu of $3 million cash bail.
Her 2-year-old son is in the custody of his father, the station reported.
The D.A.’s office said in a news release that Jones’ defense attorney argued for minimal bail saying R.J.’s death was not intentional.
via: https://nypost.com/2018/07/15/mom-accused-of-killing-her-infant-through-drugs-in-breast-milk/
Teacher accused of sex assault, trying to hypnotize girls
HUMMELSTOWN, Pa. — A third-grade teacher is accused of sexually assaulting a girl at a Pennsylvania elementary school and police say he tried to hypnotize others and make them vow to obey him.
James Mentzer, of Hummelstown, was charged Thursday with institutional sexual assault, indecent assault, unlawful contact with a minor and five counts of corruption of minors. Police began investigating him in February, and Mentzer was put on leave from East Hanover Elementary School.
Police say Mentzer requested each girl — ranging in age from 8 to 11 — come to his classroom to record videos for an alleged project.
Police say Mentzer videotaped them reading and attempted to hypnotize them.
One victim told police he made her repeat the phrase “I will obey you, Master” as he swung a necklace in front of her eyes.
No attorney information is available in online court documents.
Woman accused of faking pregnancy to hitch an ambulance ride home, slapped with $800 fine – Cops: “Should have just called an Uber.”
GREENSBURG, Pa. — Police say a Pennsylvania woman faked a pregnancy to hitch a ride back to her hometown.
Authorities say the 25-year-old called emergency services March 20, claiming she was having a complication with her pregnancy.
The ambulance drove the woman and her male companion from Latrobe to her hometown of Greensburg, where she was placed in a hospital room for examination.
Police say the woman walked out of the emergency room before she could be examined.
The woman gave her name and address to first responders, and police traced her to an apartment where she was hiding in the attic.
Police have charged with woman with theft of services, which carries an $800 fine.
Greensburg Police Capt. Robert Stafford says it would’ve been cheaper if the woman just called an Uber.
via: https://nypost.com/2018/03/29/woman-accused-of-faking-pregnancy-to-hitch-an-ambulance-ride-home/
Teachers resign at Pennsylvania school where they claim to be attacked by first-grade students
Teachers say they’re being terrorized by unruly students as young as six in a Pennsylvania school district where more than 40 teachers have resigned since the start of the school year.
Amanda Sheaffer, a first-grade teacher who attended a Harrisburg school board meeting on Monday, said, “I have been kicked, punched, hit, scratched. I’ve had a student physically restraining me in front of my other students,” according to PennLive.com.
Sheaffer, who has worked in the district for four years, said the incidents interrupt her day, as she’s required to clear the room, call security, and write a report.
Teachers are now asking for support after a series of violent altercations with students led to at least 45 resignations between July and October, according to the Harrisburg Education Association.
Association President Jody Barksdale, who says more teachers have resigned since then, wants the association to establish a task force to address the children displaying violent behavior.
“Teachers and students are being hit, kicked, slapped, scratched, cussed at … and observing other students flip over tables, desks and chairs. Teachers have had to take the rest of their class into the hallway to protect them during these outbursts,” Barksdale said.
Several teachers and parents from Melrose and Downey elementary schools appeared at the meeting on Monday, calling for the school board to take action after Barksdale first relayed complaints in January. The district claims not all of the teacher resignations were due to student violence. Still, Superintendent Sybil Knight-Burney says the district understands that there is a “different type of support that is needed.”
via: http://www.nydailynews.com/news/national/penn-teachers-terrorized-unruly-students-article-1.3649759
Drunk dad passes out on lawn while tot drowns blocks away
A Pennsylvania dad faces charges after his toddler son drowned while the man was allegedly passed out drunk on his lawn.
David Gammon, 35, was charged Tuesday with involuntary manslaughter and child endangerment in the death of 2-year-old Anakin Gammon, news station WFMJ reported.
Gammon told police that he had been “sipping” on a Four Loko when he took the tot and his 5-year-old brother outside in September.
A neighbor found Gammon asleep on the lawn after another one of his children came over saying that he couldn’t wake his dad or find the siblings.
he neighbor told police that Gammon reeked of alcohol and had difficulty understanding that his sons had disappeared, news station WKBN reported.
The two boys were reported missing and police found the 5-year-old, who has special needs, a few blocks from Gammon’s home.
But Anakin was discovered unresponsive in a backyard swimming pool about nine blocks away in Masury, Ohio.
Emergency responders attempted to revive the 2-year-old, but he was pronounced dead at the hospital.
The boy’s death was ruled a drowning.
Authorities filed charges against Gammon after investigating the death.
“There is probable cause that David Gammon was reckless in consuming enough alcohol, while caring for his children, that he lost consciousness allowing them to wander from the property” police said in the complaint.
via: http://nypost.com/2017/11/07/drunk-dad-passes-out-on-lawn-while-tot-drowns-blocks-away-cops/
Man snaps woman’s neck for refusing marriage proposal
A Pennsylvania man on Halloween snapped the neck of a female friend and beat her with a hatchet after the woman refused his marriage proposal, The Morning Call reported, citing police.
Christopher R. Tucker, 34, was charged with murder and criminal homicide for allegedly killing Tara M. Serino, 19.
He reportedly asked Serino to marry him at his home in Berks County. She said no and told him that she was sleeping with other men, NBC Philadelphia reported. He allegedly told police that she told him that he should kill her.
Police said Tucker told them that he snapped and choked her. He poked her eyes out and snapped her neck, police said, according to the station. He allegedly wrapped her in a rug and left.
The NBC report said Tucker was caught at a truck stop in Champaign County, Illinois. He will be extradited to Pennsylvania.
via: http://nypost.com/2017/11/07/man-snaps-womans-neck-for-refusing-marriage-proposal-cops/
Student admits to putting bleach in pregnant girlfriend’s water
A former Pennsylvania college student who was accused of intentionally putting bleach in his girlfriend’s water pleaded guilty Tuesday to attempted murder.
Police at Millersville University said Theophilous Washington, 21, from Washington, D.C., gave his girlfriend a water bottle knowing it had bleach inside, Fox 43 reported.
Washington reportedly offered his girlfriend, who was around two months pregnant at the time, the concoction in his dorm room the morning after spending the night. She allegedly felt a burning sensation in her throat, vomited, then called 911.
The man confessed to putting bleach in the water, and had said previously that he didn’t want her to have the child, LancasterOnline reported. The woman was examined by a doctor, and both she and her now-born child are believed to not have been hurt in the incident, according to Fox 43.
via: http://nypost.com/2017/10/24/student-admits-to-putting-bleach-in-pregnant-girlfriends-water/