12 January 2010
11 January 2010
ODDS AND ENDS - 1/11/10
Tyrell Jamar Jones, 21, of Coatesville, faces First Degree Murder, Criminal Conspiracy, and Robbery charges after he allegedly participated in the murder of Christian Oliveras at his home on the 300 block of South Adams Street, West Chester, on July 9, 2007 (CP-15-CR-0004523-2007).
Three other defendants pled guilty in April 2009 to Third Degree Murder and Criminal Conspiracy.
The trial is being heard in front of Common Pleas Judge Thomas Gavin. The Jones trial, along with the trial of four other co-defendants, was originally scheduled to have been heard by now former President Judge Paula Francisco Ott before her subsequent election to the Pennsylvania Superior Court...
An Exton man pled guilty to exposing himself on three separate occasions in West Chester, however, it appeared as though it took a lot of tooth pulling to finally convince him to enter his plea.
Earl Franklin McComsey, 41, of Exton, initially planned to plead no contest to three separate counts of Indecent Exposure on two open cases (CP-15-CR-0004008-2009 and CP-15-CR-0004582-2009) in Common Pleas Court this morning.
On April 18, 2009 at around 6:25, a woman reported to West Chester Police that McComsey had exposed his genitals and masturbated next to a parked vehicle on the 200 block of Dean Street. McComsey then drove off in a dark blue Buick.
On June 28, 2009 at around 23:21, a woman reported to West Chester Police that a white male, later identified as McComsey, was masturbating in open view in the West End. As with the April 2009 incident, he fled in a dark blue vehicle.
On September 13, 2009 at around 7:57, a woman walking her dog in the area of South New Street and Cherry Alley spotted McComsey completely naked and fondling his genitals.
On September 15, 2009, Ofc. Dave Stuart of the West Chester Police spotted a vehicle matching the description given by the three victims on the 800 block of West Miner Street (Pa. 842), East Bradford. During that traffic stop, one of the victims positively identified McComsey, who was the driver, as the man engaging in the lewd conduct.
McComsey had originally planned to enter a plea of no contest to the charges, however, had expressed some misgivings about the plea. After a sidebar discussion between Common Pleas Judge Ronald Nagle, Assistant District Attorney Deborah Ryan, and Patrick Ivkovich, McComsey's attorney, the plea was changed from no contest to guilty, presumably due to the conditions of the Sex Offender's Program that McComsey is now required to participate in as part of the plea agreement.
McComsey, who stated in open court that he was married with children, was sentenced to 11 1/2 to 23 months at CCP, to be followed by two years of probation consecutive to parole. He was made eligible for work release after serving 6 months of his sentence.
McComsey had three prior convictions for Indecent Exposure - a 1990 conviction in Montgomery County, and 1992 and 1998 convictions in Chester County...
And, finally, a Coatesville man who was in the center of a little, shall we say, snafu following his September 2009 arrest on an active bench warrant, is now off to state prison after pleading guilty to felony charges.
Stephon Omar Toney, 26, of the 50 block of South 4th Avenue, Coatesville, was arrested on September 20, 2009 at 2:44 on an active bench warrant for failing to appear for trial on charges of Possession of Marijuana, Possession of Drug Paraphanalia, and False Identification to Law Enforcement.
Ofc. Ken Michels of the Coatesville Police spotted Toney on the 50 block of North 7th Avenue. Toney gave a false name to the officer, then, during the course of the arrest, spit on Ofc. Michels and repeatedly made threats of kill officers. Toney also attempted to kick out the rear window of the patrol car and had also urinated in his cell while awaiting transport to CCP.
Toney had failed to appear in Judge Nagle's court on Septmeber 1, 2009, and a warrant was issued for his arrest. Toney was also awaiting a Gagnon II hearing on a violation of probation stemming from a 2007 arrest and conviction on Simple Assault charges.
Toney pled guilty to False Identification to Law Enforcement and Possession of Marijuana on September 21, 2009 in front of Judge Nagle and was sentenced to 15 days to 12 months at CCP plus 1 month of probation consecutive to parole. In that incident, Toney was stopped by Cpl. Brandon Harris on May 16, 2009 at 11:50 during an investigation of a disturbance on the 50 block of South 4th Avenue. Toney had given a false name to Cpl. Harris and was also in possession of .73 grams of marijuana.
During the May 2009 arrest, it was determined that Toney had an active bench warrant for probation violations stemming from a 2007 conviction on Simple Assault charges. He was released from custody on June 6, 2009 to await a Gagnon II hearing.
Two days after he was paroled from CCP on the then pending criminal case, Toney was back in front of Judge Nagle for his Gagnon II hearing. After being found in violation of his probation, Toney was sentenced to 23 days to 12 months at CCP.
Toney, however, was not arraigned on the new charges until September 26, 2009. The bench warrant had been signed by Senior District Judge Robert Davis, presiding at Coatesville, two days after Toney was arrested on the failure to appear warrant.
To recap that particular week that was Toney's adventures in the Chester County justice system:
- September 20, 2009, 2:44: Toney is arrested by Ofc. Michels at 2:44 in the area of the 50 block of North 7th Avenue, Coatesville, on the failure to appear warrant. Toney spits at Ofc. Michels and threatens to kill other officers during the course of the arrest. Toney is subsequently committed to CCP that day instead of being brought for arraignment on new charges.
- September 21, 2009, 12:20: Coatesville Police file the criminal complaint relating to Toney's actions the previous day in Coatesville District Court. This is noteworthy since the on-call court for the previous day was ... Coatesville.
- September 21, 2009, 13:30: Toney appears in front of Judge Nagle on the False ID and marijuana charges; he pleads guilty and is given a time-served sentence (CP-15-CR-0002628-2009).
- September 22, 2009, 9:50: Senior District Judge Davis issues the warrant for Toney's arrest on the new charges.
- September 23, 2009, 9:30: Toney appears in front of Judge Nagle for a Gagnon II hearing on the Simple Assault case and is sentenced to time served to 12 months at CCP (CP-15-CR-0003896-2007).
- September 26, 2009, 10:20: Toney is arraigned by West Goshen District Judge William Kraut on the new case and commited to CCP after failing to post $20,000 cash bail.
- September 30, 2009, 8:30: Toney is ordered held for trial after a preliminary hearing in Coatesville District Court.
This morning, however, Toney earned himself new accomodations, courtesy of the Pennsylvania Department of Corrections. He had pled guilty to one count of Aggravated Harassment by Prisoner, Resisting Arrest, and False Identification to Law Enforcement in front of Judge Nagle. Toney was sentenced to 1-to-2 years in state prison, to be followed by three years of probation consecutive to parole. Toney was given credit for time served from September 26, 2009 to today's date (CP-15-CR-0004046-2009).
The Pennsylvania Commission on Sentencing guidelines called for a minimum sentence of 6-to-14 months in state prison for the Aggravated Harassment by Prisoner charge.
06 January 2010
TEEN SENT UPSTATE FOR EAST CALN ROBBERY
On June 18, 2009 at around 22:45, Ofc. Scott Neuhaus of the Downingtown Police responded to the parking lot of Wegman's on the 1000 block of East Lancaster Avenue, East Caln, for a report of an armed robbery. The victim, a reputed drug dealer, told police that he had been robbed by point of gun by Max Hunter Taylor, 19.
Taylor and two friends drove to Wegman's in what was intended to have been a purchase of marijuana. During the course of the alleged drug deal, Taylor pointed a gun in the victim's throat and demanded money and marijuana. Taylor and his friends left with $170.00 in U.S. currency and an unknown amount of marijuana.
The vehicle in which Taylor and his friends had used was located by the State Police on the day after the robbery. Taylor's two friends were subsequently located and had identified Taylor as the man behind the robbery. A black air soft pistol that was used in the robbery was recovered from the vehicle.
Taylor, who in court admitted to a drug problem that began when he was 11 years old, was arrested on July 6, 2009 and subsequently admitted his role in the robbery. He told investigators that he had intended to sell the stolen marijuana to his two friends, however, they refused.
It's not known if any charges were filed against the two subjects initially interviewed by investigators.
Taylor, who had previously been adjudicated in the juvenile system for a DUI charge, had been facing a mandatory five year state prison sentence for using a firearm during the commission of a felony. However, in an agreement negotiated by Assistant District Attorney Deborah Ryan and defense attorney Jeremiah Kane, Taylor pled guilty to one count of Robbery as a 1st degree felony and one count of Possession of an Instrument of Crime.
Common Pleas Judge Ronald Nagle accepted the plea agreement and sentenced Taylor to 2-to-4 years in state prison, to be followed by 5 years of probation consecutive to parole. Taylor was given credit for the 6 months served at CCP while awaiting trial and was also made eligible for Boot Camp, pending approval by the Pennsylvania Department of Corrections.
17 December 2009
ATTEMPTED ABDUCTION IN DOWNINGTOWN AREA
According to unofficial reports, Downingtown Police are searching for a two men in a blue pick-up truck who were reportedly attempting to lure middle-school aged students in the Johnsontown section of Downingtown. The incidents occured sometime this afternoon, however, no further details are available.
Anyone with information regarding the incident - including tips on possible suspects or the suspected vehicle - or wishing to report similar incidents is asked to call Downingtown Police at (610) 269-0263 or the Radio Room at (610) 383-7000.
Unplugged will attempt to get more details if and when they become available.
11 December 2009
ODDS AND ENDS - 12/11/09
The most notable changes are that the criminal days at 15-1-04 in West Chester's East End will move from Friday to Thursday. The move apparently is causing some scheduling headaches in the other two district courts where West Chester Police have to address cases - West Chester (15-1-01) and Downingtown (15-2-06).
At present, most traffic and summary cases filed by WCPD on incidents in East Bradford - which is located in 15-2-06's jurisdiction - are heard on Thursdays. While it's not clear who precipitated the changes, someone apparently didn't think much of any potential conflicts that could arise from this decision.
And that's not factoring in WCU Police, who run the risk of having to attend preliminary hearings in two different courts on the same day - 15-1-04 and 15-2-03 in West Goshen (a portion of the East and South Campuses are in West Goshen Township).
Another notable change is the criminal days at Avondale will move from Thursday to Friday, now that controversial constable Matthew Seavey is now the District Judge. How much do you want to bet that some of the constables who work criminal days at 15-1-04 pushed the powers that be at the Justice Center to alter the schedule so they could work with their buddy down south?
Of course, old boy politics aren't at play here. Oh, of course not. And if you believe that, I have some swamp in South Jersey for sale...
And, as a friendly reminder, tomorrow is Downingtown's Good Neighbor Christmas Parade -which, unlike West Chester's sorry excuse for a parade, has yet to be corrupted by corporate naming right - will be held tomorrow starting at 15:00. The parade route will be along Lancaster Avenue from Aston Avenue in the West Ward to Uwchlan Avenue near East Ward Elementary School.
At least Mother Nature is expected to play nice with Downingtown for it's parade tomorrow; that was not the case last Saturday as Coatesville's Christmas Parade was cancelled due to the rain/snow that hit the area. It's too bad that the rain and snow didn't hit on Friday instead of Saturday; at least that way, the pinheads at the Chamber of Commerce of Greater West Chester would've looked pretty stupid by promoting an event only to have Mother Nature ruin it...
WILL THEY PAY FOR THIS DECISION?
At last week's Parking Commitee meeting, a request was made to have SEPTA's Routes 92, 104, 306, and 314 buses, along with Krapf's Coaches Route A bus from Coatesville, re-routed from it's current West End loop routing via West Chestnut, North New, and West Market Streets. The proposed re-routing would have buses continue down West Chestnut before turning up Hannum Avenue, then turning onto North New.
When the routing came forth several years ago, prior to the opening of the Justice Center and the Parking Garage/West Chester Transportation Center, SEPTA rejected the recommendation due to additional operating expenses. The routing ultimately resulted in the elimination of one parking space on the 100 block of North New near the corner of West Chestnut. That former parking space is now a bus stop for buses making the turn onto Chestnut.
It seems as though some of the neighbors want their parking spot back, hence the request to have the borough make the request. I mean, come on, we're talking about ONE parking space. Just one. Would it really kill people to park up in the Spaz lot instead of forcing additional operating costs on a transit agency that is trying to contain costs?
I'm sure the borough would have no problem paying the additional costs, since, after all, they are the ones who are pushing this decision, which will be nothing but a headache for riders.
The full Council is expected to discuss the issue at Tuesday's Work Session. Here's hoping that this idea doesn't get past the discussion stage...
04 December 2009
LET THE INCONVENIENCE BEGIN
On several sections of West Market Street - which was closed off to traffic within the past hour - parade staff placed signs in the middle of sidewalks along the 400, 500, and 600 blocks of West Market, potentially violating Section 95-24 of the Borough Code of Ordinances:
It shall be unlawful for any person, firm or corporation or any officer or employee thereof to block or cause to be blocked a continuous three-foot-wide strip for unimpeded pedestrian traffic in the center portion of a sidewalk of the Borough of West Chester by the storing or placing of goods, wares or merchandise within that three-foot-wide traveled section of the paved sidewalk, whether the same is ordained or unordained, or by the obstruction thereof by trucks or other vehicles being backed or driven on or across such sidewalks for the purpose of loading or unloading goods, wares or merchandise of any kind or description whatsoever.
In addition to the staging signs, at least two light towers were blocking the sidewalks - one at Market and Everhart, the other at Market and New.
Yet another reason why the Chamber of Commerce should never have sold out this parade for commercial purposes.
PARADE TONIGHT... YAWN...
The Old Fashioned Christmas Parade will take place tonight, resulting in a slew of street closings - and almost as many headaches for residents along side streets which will see gridlocked traffic as a result of the foolish, long-standing tradition of holding the parade on Friday night.
This year's event is being sponsored by an East Goshen based company known for mediocre coffee. In fact, the company aided the Chamber of Commerce of Greater West Chester, have now conspired to commandeer the quaint nature of this event all in the name of money.
As a result of this crass commercialization of this neighborhood event, Unplugged will not dignify said company with a mention in this report (unless they decide to become a "corporate sponsor" of this site). That sponsorship in and of itself generated this letter to the editor written by Dave LaLeike in Monday's Daily Local:
In a letter to the editor back in August of '08, I asked the question, "How thin of a line is it between selling the Borough of West Chester like a bottle of detergent and keeping the integrity of a municipality and its residents intact?" Recently, I've come to realize that that proverbial line is getting more microscopically thin, if, at this point, it exists at all.
When the Democrats started taking control of the Borough Council, turning West Chester into a one-party town, that's when the line started to get thinner.
Some of you may have noticed that the upcoming annual West Chester Old-Fashioned Christmas Parade will be held on Dec. 4. Oh, no, I'm sorry, that's wrong. This year the parade has been rechristened, it is now called, "The (company name redacted) Old-Fashioned Christmas Parade." What the heck! When did the Borough of West Chester change its name to (company name redacted)?
Fear not, it seems the Chamber of Commerce of Greater West Chester just temporarily rented out the name of the parade to a corporation that sells candy bars. (Company name redacted), a drink product division of the candy company, must have coughed up the big bucks to supplant their name for that of the "West Chester" parade from days of yore.
Sure enough, go to the Chamber of Commerce Web site, or the Business Improvement District Web site, and there it is, "The (company name redacted) Old-Fashioned Christmas Parade." Old-Fashioned West Chester? Not anymore. It's a logo kind of parade this year. Kind of similar to how big city sports stadiums sell the naming rights of their commercial facilities to the highest bidder. You know, it engenders that hometown feel.
Which is part of the reason why I don't refer to the sports arenas in South Philadelphia by their "corporate" names ... You know, The Center, The Ballpark, and The Linc...
Oh, sure, parades cost money, and all the local businesses and institutions that donate time and money for the borough's parades should be commended. But of course, the bigger the production, the more money required.
In its climb toward the parade heavens I wonder if the reach our local Chamber of Commerce has exceeded its grasp in a tasteful, old-fashioned manner.
To answer Mr. LaLeike's question, the answer, in this humble blogger's opinion, is yes.
However, the controversial Presdient of the Chamber of Commerce of Greater West Chester Katie L. Walker decided to pull a Robert Gibbs and respond with her own letter to the editor in Tuesday's Daily Local, a letter which came off as both defensive and arrogant:
In response to the Letter to the Editor in [Monday's] paper regarding The In response to the Letter to the Editor in yesterday's paper regarding (company name redacted) Old Fashioned Christmas Parade, my response is simple. You are correct "all the local businesses and institutions that donate time and money for the borough's parades should be commended." Our community is extremely fortunate to have businesses like (company name redacted) and so many others located here in greater West Chester, that are passionate about giving back and supporting community programs.
Dave LaLeike posed the question about whether or not it's "tasteful" for the Chamber of Commerce of Greater West Chester to list (company name redacted) as the headline sponsor for the Old Fashioned Christmas Parade. The Chamber believes it is not only "tasteful" but will also be quite "tasty" with FREE hot beverage giveaways from (company name redacted) the night of the parade.
This blogger believes that Walker's comment was not only stupid, but rather snobby.
But seriously, folks, since the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade first rolled down New York City streets in 1924, corporate names have headlined events to help pay for these free community events.
But, seriously, stupid, you're comparing apples and oranges. The City of New York did not initiate the parade, the Macy's company did.
The upcoming (company name redacted) Old Fashioned Christmas Parade has been a long standing tradition in the borough that entertains residents from all over the region. Being that the mission of the Chamber is "to promote the betterment and prosperity of the business community," the parade also serves as an opportunity for the Chamber of Commerce to showcase the businesses in and around Greater West Chester that help to make our community a special place to live, work and raise a family.
False. In the last few years, the Chamber has chosed to turn over the production of a parade to professionals instead of the local community. The "long standing" tradition would refer to the days when local volunteers would organize the parade instead of out-sourcing it to some "specialists" whose sole goal appears to be corrupting the spirit of Christmas.
The Chamber is not giving away the identity of West Chester's grandest parade, it's supplementing the costs to provide citizens with the greatest experience possible.
False. The Chamber IS giving away the identity of "West Chester's grandest parade."
Children enjoy the parade and parents appreciate it — that's what really counts.
Whatever. I think what really counts in Walker's mind is increasing her over-inflated ego by allowing this corruption to continue. The parade was just fine for nearly 25 years without Channel 6 sticking it's nose into the parade and turning portions of the parade into more self-promoting garbage (which is one of the biggest reasons Action News has gone downhill in recent years; it seems as though half of their newscasts are designed to promote ... Channel 6 or other ABC/Disney entities).
This is what the Old Fashioned Christmas Parade has become:
- It has become a corporate shill-fest where the Chamber of Commerce, in it's role as a "pimp", has sold out the Borough of West Chester as if it were a Kensington Avenue crack whore. The "johns" in this case are not only the corporate sponsor who commandered the name of the parade, but the ego inflated Channel 6, which is sending two of it's idiots to host the event. The idiot who hosted the parade last year was terrible.
- It has become a staged production which neither feels old-fashioned nor community based, with more representation from outside the county instead of more emphasis on local talent and organizations. Henderson High School wasn't even represented in last year's parade, for example, but the Pennsbury High School band from Bucks County marched (ok, I know Henderson didn't have a band last year, but would it have been too much to allow their choir to perform instead of bringing in some D-List singer from a D-List reality talent show?).
- It has become a nightmare for residents in the neighborhoods immediately surrounding Uptown thanks to the traffic gridlock of gullible tourists entering town as workers - mostly county employees - are trying to leave their jobs and start their weekends.
This year's parade will also include a marching band competition. Seriously.
No offense intended to the bands that will be performing, but a marching band competition as part of a Christmas parade is highly inappropriate. Don't these bands participate in enough competitions during the year? Sorry, but a holiday themed parade is not the right time to stage such a competition complete with "three professional judges from Central Pennsylvania."
For what it's worth, the six bands that will be participating are Avon Grove, Conestoga, Downingtown, Octorara, Springfield (Delaware County), and the Baltimore Westsiders Marching Band from Maryland.
Conspicously missing from this competition list are two schools that people in West Chester may be familiar with - West Chester East and Bayard Rustin. They'll be marching, but apparently not participating in the competition.
Overall, there will be over 20 marching bands and drill teams participating in the parade, according to the list posted at the Chamber of Commerce's web site. Doesn't 20 bands sound like overkill? After all, this is only West Chester, not 5th Avenue in Manhattan.
That's on top of the 8 floats and 28 additional "parade elements" that will be part of the route. The "featured singer" in this year's parade is some Jonas Brothers wanna-be from Orlando (the same city that forced The Backstreet Boys and N*SYNC on an unsuspecting world) who happens to be a "Radio Disney" performing artist. Yes, the same "Radio Disney" that's owned by the conglomerate that also happens to own Channel 6.
I guess Justin Guarini wasn't available...
Another change that is sure to anger traditionalists is that there will no longer be any performances in front of the Historic Courthouse. The parade route will now start at Market and New Streets before heading up New Street to Gay Street, then to Matlack Street, and back up Market Street. I don't think it would be an exaggeration to say that the traffic along North New Street will probably be backed up deep into West Goshen with this new routing.
Suffice to say that if this year's parade is anything like last year's, that doesn't bode well for the soul of West Chester. In fact, the soul has been slowly disappearing when the Chamber and the Business Improvement District began promoting Uptown as "Downtown West Chester."
Sorry, but if I need to get to Market and Church Streets, I'm not going to go to "Downtown West Chester." There is no "Downtown" in West Chester - it's Uptown. I learned that when I first moved down here in 1995; too bad the rest of the clowns at the Chamber or the BID didn't get the message.
Now, if you want to see a real "old fashioned" Christmas Parade, head out to Coatesville tomorrow morning at 9:00 when the city hosts a real Christmas Parade in the spirit of community, not this "Broadway Meets Gay Street" fiasco in West Chester.
Or, even better, check out Downingtown's Christmas Parade next Saturday, which starts at 15:00.
Both parades are organized by local groups, not a "professional parade planner" - the Coatesville parade by a non-profit organization which includes the Stewart Huston Charitable Trust and the City of Coatesville; the Downingtown parade is also staged by a non-profit organization with logistical support from the Borough of Downingtown, however, the borough does not provide financial support.
18 November 2009
ODDS AND ENDS – 11/18/09
One man is in custody and another man is at large after a burglary in the North End over the weekend.
Ofc. Jeff Murray was on routine patrol along the 100 block of East Market Street at around 05:17 Sunday morning when he spotted two men, Joseph Dominic Sims, 20, of the 200 block of East Market Street, West Chester, and Kenneth W. Santos, 18, of the 600 block of Downingtown Pike, West Chester. Santos was allegedly carrying an Adidas bag, while Sims was reportedly carrying a backpack. Santos reportedly dropped his bag and fled the area on foot; Sims was taken into custody.
In a search incident to arrest, officers found a pair of Nike batting gloves and a gold coin in his pants pockets. A subsequent search of the bags showed a number of items, including men's and women's jewelry, 2 bottles of wine, a broken bottle of champagne, video games, two ladies purses, and several additional items, some of which were described as "antiques."
Later that day, a woman reported to West Chester Police that her former son in-law's residence had been burglarized after she noticed that several rooms had been ransacked while she was attempting to retrieve some items belonging to her daughter. The homeowners positively identified the items that were reportedly recovered from the two suspects.
Santos and Sims were charged with Burglary, Criminal Trespassing, TBUT, Receiving Stolen Property, Criminal Mischief, and Criminal Conspiracy. Sims was arraigned yesterday and committed to CCP in lieu of $25,000 cash bail; a preliminary hearing is scheduled for Friday at 15-1-04 (15-1-04, CR-0000360-09).
Santos remains at large. Anyone with information on his whereabouts is asked to call WCPD at (610) 696-2700…
A man recently paroled from Delaware County on assault charges faces a new set of assault charges and could also be facing drug charges.
Ofc. Chris Daly responded to a report of a disturbance on the 300 block of East Miner Street at 15:17 yesterday afternoon. The victim told officers that Shawn Michael Suski, 30, confronted the victim over an alleged debt. Suski then allegedly punched the victim in the face before removing a knife from his pocket, displaying it in a threatening manner. Suski then reportedly ran into his home at 300 East Miner. When officers made contact with Suski, he reportedly said, "I could have beaten that guy up if I was really trying."
After obtaining a search warrant late Tuesday afternoon, officers conducted a search of Suski's East Miner Street apartment. In addition to a black folding knife and a red Swiss Army knife, officers reportedly found a black case containing three clear plastic baggies containing an unknown white powder suspected to be cocaine and a clear box containing a green vegetable matter suspected to be marijuana.
Suski was recently paroled from Delaware County Prison after he pled guilty on September 9 to Simple Assault and Resisting Arrest stemming from a November 3, 2007 incident in Concord (CP-23-CR-0003513-2008) and to Possession of a Controlled Substance after a January 11, 2008 arrest in Concord (CP-23-CR-0005123-2008). He was sentenced to 77 days to 23 months in prison to be followed by two years of probation consecutive to parole.
Once Suski was paroled, he had several run-ins with police in West Chester and West Goshen – Suski was issued 8 non-traffic citations between September 14 and November 17:
- On September 14, Cpl. Josh Lee cited Suski for Disorderly Conduct (15-1-04, NT-0001479-09).
- On October 14, Cpl. Ryan Collins cited Suski for Disorderly Conduct (15-1-04, NT-0001819-09).
- On October 29, Ofc. Sean Graham of the West Goshen Police cited Suski for Criminal Trespassing (15-2-03, NT-0000803-09) and Disorderly Conduct (15-2-03, NT-0000804-09).
- On November 6, Ofc. Rey Melendez cited Suski for Harassment (15-1-04, NT-0001970-09).
- On November 9, Ofc. Stuart Smith cited Suski for Harassment (15-1-04, NT-0001984-09), Littering (15-1-04, NT-0001985-09), and Disorderly Conduct (15-1-04, NT-0001986-09).
Suski already dodged charges in West Chester after he pled guilty to a summary charge of Disorderly Conduct in Common Pleas Court after he was originally charged with Receiving Stolen Property, Possession of Marijuana, and Possession of an Instrument of Crime. The arrest stemmed from a November 24, 2007 incident at the Burger King at South High and Price Streets in which Suski reportedly was involved in a fight. Suski had been found in possession of a marijuana joint, stolen items reportedly taken in a strong arm robbery, and an air gun.
Yet, Suski was allowed to plea to the summary charge in Common Pleas Court, and was ordered only to pay $45.00 in restitution and the costs of prosecution (CP-15-CR-0000432-2008).
Suski was arraigned by Coatesville District Judge Gregory Hines on charges of Terroristic Threats and Harassment. Suski was committed to CCP in lieu of $2,500 cash bail; a preliminary hearing is scheduled for Friday (15-1-04, CR-0000361-09)…
10 November 2009
ASSISTANCE INFO AT WEST CHESTER Y TODAY
WEST CHESTER – The Chester County Department of Community Development along with other agencies are hosting a forum this afternoon in West Chester designed to promote county and state services designed for those needing assistance during the Bush-created, Obama-accelerated recession.
The "Here to Help" event will take place between 15:00 and 19:00 this afternoon at the West Chester Area YMCA located at the corner of East Chestnut and North Walnut Streets. The event is designed to bring the various social service and governmental agencies together to provide information regarding re-employment training, financial planning, food program, rental assistance, avoiding foreclosure, utility assistance, and other programs.
In addition to the CCDCD, these agencies are scheduled to have representatives on hand:
- Pennsylvania Department of Labor and Industry
- Pennsylvania Department of Public Welfare
- Pennsylvania Department of Insurance
- Pennsylvania CareerLink
- Chester County Workforce Investment Board
- Community Impact Legal Services
For more information regarding this event, contact the CCDCD at (610) 344-6900.
09 November 2009
STATE PAROLEE BUSTED ON WCU CAMPUS
EAST BRADFORD – A Philadelphia man on state parole for prior theft offenses in the city and Montgomery County is in custody after allegedly breaking into three apartments on the West Chester University campus over the past four days.
WCU Police responded to the South Campus Apartment complex on four separate occasions between Friday afternoon and early this evening for reports of burglaries and uninvited persons, all of which allegedly involving one Julius A. Collier, 25, of the 100 block of East Mayland Avenue, Germantown, Philadelphia.
The first incident occurred on Friday at 15:20, when a female resident of one apartment reported that a laptop which had been on her desk was removed from the apartment. She had reported seeing a black male wearing a red jacket loitering outside the apartment.
The second incident occurred on Saturday at 12:29, when a female resident of a different apartment observed a black male wearing a red jacket and with a tattoo in the middle of his forehead in her apartment. She told police that he had entered her apartment without permission and had never heard him knock on the door or announce his entry.
The third incident was reported yesterday afternoon at 12:28, when the female resident of yet another apartment reported that a black male had entered her apartment unannounced and slowly entered her room until she spotted him. The suspect fled shortly after the resident spotted him.
The final incident that led to Collier's arrest took place a short time later at 16:00, when residents of a fourth apartment spotted a subject matching the description of the perp from the three earlier incidents. The residents told police that they were missing various valuable items from their respective rooms.
Det. Sgt. Matt Paris located Collier shortly after he arrived on scene. Collier was reportedly wearing a red jacket at the time he was taken into custody, and also had a noticeable tattoo on his forehead – among other parts of his head and neck. After the victims positively identified Collier as the man who entered their apartments, Collier was taken into custody.
Collier has had five separate criminal cases dating back to 2002:
- February 16, 2002: Ofc. James Pitts of the Philadelphia Police Department's 14th District arrests Collier after the suspect was reportedly spotted in a stolen vehicle in Northwest Philadelphia. Collier is charged with TBUT, Receiving Stolen Property, Possession of a Controlled Substance, and Unauthorized Use of a Motor Vehicle (CP-51-CR-0901471-2002).
- May 28, 2002: While on bail for the first stolen vehicle case, Collier is arrested by Ofc. Donald Suchinsky of the 14th District and charged with TBUT, Receiving Stolen Property, Criminal Mischief, Unauthorized Use of a Motor Vehicle, and Criminal Conspiracy (CP-51-CR-0706671-2002).
- July 1, 2002: As if he didn't learn the first time, Collier is arrested by Ofc. Hector Maldonado of the 14th District and charged with TBUT, Receiving Stolen Property, and Unauthorized Use of a Motor Vehicle (CP-15-CR-0706681-2002).
- July 8, 2002: Collier is ordered held for trial on all counts on the May 2002 and the July 2002 case after hearings in front of Philadelphia Municipal Court Judge Edward Mekel.
- August 23, 2002: Collier is ordered held for trial on all counts on the February 2002 case after a preliminary hearing in front of Philadelphia Municipal Court Judge Felice Rowley Stack.
- September 27, 2002: Collier pleads guilty to three separate TBUT counts in front of Philadelphia Common Pleas Judge Thomas Dempsey and is sentenced to 6-to-23 months at Curran-Fromhold Correctional Facility to be followed by 2 years of probation consecutive to parole.
- February 4, 2005: Collier is arrested yet again by 14th District officers; this time, Ofc. Fred Wiley charges Collier with TBUT and Unauthorized Use of a Motor Vehicle (CP-51-CR-0203131-2005).
- February 9, 2005: Collier is ordered held for trial after a preliminary hearing in front of Philadelphia Municipal Court Judge Teresa Deni.
- April 6, 2005: Collier pleads guilty to a charge of TBUT in front of Philadelphia Common Pleas Judge Genece Brinkley and is sentenced to 2-to-23 months at CFCF to be followed by one year of probation consecutive to parole.
- April 14, 2005: Collier is found to have violated his parole from the 2002 convictions; Judge Dempsey sentences Collier to 8-to-23 months at CFCF.
- October 22, 2006: Collier expands his criminal empire into the suburbs when Ofc. Oswaldo Toledo of the Abington Township (Montgomery County) Police charges Collier with Retail Theft and Receiving Stolen Property. Collier is committed to Montgomery County Correctional Facility in lieu of $5,000 cash bail.
- November 3, 2006: Collier is ordered held for trial on the Retail Theft charge after a preliminary hearing in front of Abington District Judge Juanita Price.
- February 20, 2007: Collier is again found in violation of his parole on the 2002 convictions; Judge Dempsey revokes and reinstates the 8-to-23 month jail sentence; Collier was ordered to serve the balance of his parole term.
- March 1, 2007: Collier pleads guilty to the misdemeanor Retail Theft charge in front of Montgomery County Common Pleas Judge William Furber and is sentenced to 129 days (time served) to 23 months at MCCF to be followed by one year of probation consecutive to parole (CP-46-CR-0008080-2006).
- March 21, 2007: Collier is found to have violated his parole in the 2005 conviction; Judge Brinkley, apparently in a move that is unusual by Philadelphia standards, re-sentences Collier to a 2-to-4 year state prison sentence, to be followed by three years of state probation consecutive to parole.
Unlike most criminals who are go through the Philadelphia court system, Collier was arrested on four separate felony complaints and all four of his cases resulted in convictions in Common Pleas Court. To that extent, I don't care if Ms. Genece Brinkley is a Philadelphia Common Pleas judge (and, presumably, a Democrat), if she ever runs for Superior Court, she has my vote.
Collier was arraigned last night by West Chester District Judge Mark Bruno on three felony counts of Criminal Trespassing and committed to CCP in lieu of $7,500 cash bail. A preliminary hearing is scheduled for Monday in front of Downingtown District Judge Rita Arnold (15-2-06, CR-0000562-09). Sources close to the case tell Unplugged that additional charges are possible, pending further investigation.
08 November 2009
BREAKING DOWN THE SCHOOL BOARD RACE
WEST CHESTER – The results of the West Chester Area School Board elections proved very few surprises, however some trends were very noticeable in reviewing the final results.
The Republican ticket of Sean Carpenter, John Wingerter, Maria Armandi Pimley, and Heidi Adsett swept the four open seats on the school board, defeating the Democrat ticket of Susan Spellman Tiernan, Susan Carty, Lisa Samuel, and Deborah Liczwek. How the final balloting played out is no surprise, considering the county's historic trend towards voting Republican in most local races.
Overall, the unofficial vote tallies were as follows:
TIERNAN | CARTY | SAMUEL | LICZWEK | CARPENTER | WINGERTER | PINLEY | ADSETT | ||
7081 | 6893 | 6541 | 6423 | 8676 | 8787 | 8617 | 8757 | ||
The gap among the four Republican candidates was only 170 votes, compared to a 658 vote gap among the four Democrat candidates. More Republican straight ticket votes (4,284) were cast compared to Democrat straight ticket votes (2,313). This is relatively close to the county-wide straight ticket breakdown – there were 18,276 GOP straight ticket votes compared to only 9,676 Dem straight ticket votes. That leads one to believe that the GOP was far more effective in promoting their ticket compared to the Dems. (Note: the straight ticket figures do not include Thornbury, Delaware County; Delaware County's election web site, like the rest of the county's web site, is lacking for details compared to other counties.)
While Democrats received more votes and captured West Chester Borough (no surprise there, given the way that West Chester has devolved into a left-wing loony bin, at least politically), Republicans outpolled Democrats in the surrounding townships.
In East Goshen, the Republican ticket handily defeated the Dems, although the Dem ticket did split in East Goshen 4, which is the "triangle" in the deep southern end of the township south of West Chester Pike.
The strongest turn-out for the GOP came in East Goshen 5 and East Goshen 8; both precincts include portions of the Hershey's Mill retirement community (5 covers the west side of the development, 8 covers the east side). As was the case in East Bradford, the straight ticket balloting proved to be the difference for the GOP, as the margin was nearly 3-to-1 (compared to nearly 2-to-1 in the rest of the county).
TOWNSHIP | PRECINCT | STR D | STR R | DIFF | TIERNAN | CARTY | SAMUEL | LICZWEK | CARPENTER | WINGERTER | PINLEY | ADSETT |
East Goshen | 1 | 50 | 129 | 79 | 163 | 171 | 161 | 152 | 265 | 267 | 272 | 275 |
East Goshen | 2 | 36 | 105 | 69 | 89 | 97 | 95 | 92 | 183 | 189 | 187 | 184 |
East Goshen | 3 | 34 | 110 | 76 | 117 | 121 | 113 | 109 | 189 | 195 | 188 | 194 |
East Goshen | 4 | 68 | 71 | 3 | 134 | 134 | 123 | 120 | 134 | 127 | 133 | 130 |
East Goshen | 5 | 120 | 444 | 324 | 226 | 237 | 200 | 193 | 598 | 625 | 603 | 614 |
East Goshen | 6 | 47 | 124 | 77 | 162 | 153 | 150 | 155 | 252 | 248 | 257 | 259 |
East Goshen | 7 | 53 | 156 | 103 | 152 | 151 | 166 | 151 | 275 | 276 | 277 | 284 |
East Goshen | 8 | 62 | 232 | 170 | 125 | 128 | 115 | 114 | 301 | 303 | 299 | 293 |
East Goshen | 9 | 18 | 67 | 49 | 66 | 72 | 67 | 58 | 115 | 141 | 115 | 121 |
East Goshen | TOTAL | 488 | 1438 | 950 | 1234 | 1264 | 1190 | 1144 | 2312 | 2371 | 2331 | 2354 |
Other than the fact that Delaware County has been a GOP stronghold for as long as anyone can recall, it's really difficult to break down the results in Thornbury, DelCo. Delaware County, unlike Chester County, does not break down election results by precinct, but it's probably fair to say that the GOP held their own.
| PRECINCT | STR D | STR R | DIFF | TIERNAN | CARTY | SAMUEL | LICZWEK | CARPENTER | WINGERTER | PINLEY | ADSETT |
Thornbury [D] | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 559 | 570 | 533 | 514 | 829 | 829 | 803 | 796 |
Thornbury [D] | TOTAL | 0 | 0 | 0 | 559 | 570 | 533 | 514 | 829 | 829 | 803 | 796 |
The results in Thornbury, Chester County, were a lot closer than in the other townships. While the GOP had a 2-to-1 margin in the straight ticket category, the Dems held their own in both precincts. The margins in Thornbury 1 (east end of the township) were closer than they were in Thornbury 2 (west end of the township and the Thornbury development).
| PRECINCT | STR D | STR R | DIFF | TIERNAN | CARTY | SAMUEL | LICZWEK | CARPENTER | WINGERTER | PINLEY | ADSETT |
Thornbury [C] | 1 | 49 | 85 | 36 | 155 | 159 | 150 | 148 | 176 | 173 | 173 | 173 |
Thornbury [C] | 2 | 32 | 72 | 40 | 134 | 126 | 125 | 114 | 156 | 157 | 147 | 147 |
Thornbury [C] | TOTAL | 81 | 157 | 76 | 289 | 285 | 275 | 262 | 332 | 330 | 320 | 320 |
Westtown also proved to be closer than expected for the GOP, as like Thornbury, the GOP's straight ticket margin was only 2-to-1. The Dems, however, made it relatively close in Westtown 2 (northwest end) and Westtown 5 (west of U.S. 202 and the Oakbourne development north of Oakbourne Road).
| PRECINCT | STR D | STR R | DIFF | TIERNAN | CARTY | SAMUEL | LICZWEK | CARPENTER | WINGERTER | PINLEY | ADSETT |
Westtown | 1 | 40 | 117 | 77 | 148 | 140 | 117 | 116 | 208 | 211 | 212 | 215 |
Westtown | 2 | 57 | 87 | 30 | 122 | 121 | 114 | 119 | 159 | 165 | 169 | 166 |
Westtown | 3 | 66 | 117 | 51 | 191 | 193 | 175 | 161 | 238 | 238 | 230 | 241 |
Westtown | 4 | 61 | 110 | 49 | 149 | 142 | 130 | 128 | 188 | 196 | 196 | 192 |
Westtown | 5 | 29 | 68 | 39 | 113 | 110 | 112 | 105 | 151 | 142 | 142 | 144 |
Westtown | TOTAL | 253 | 499 | 246 | 723 | 706 | 648 | 629 | 944 | 952 | 949 | 958 |
In East Bradford, Republicans outpolled Dems in the straight ticket category, 558 to 271. Without the straight ticket votes, the Dems would've captured East Bradford with more non-straight ticket votes in all precincts except for South 2.
TOWNSHIP | PRECINCT | STR D | STR R | DIFF | TIERNAN | CARTY | SAMUEL | LICZWEK | CARPENTER | WINGERTER | PINLEY | ADSETT |
East Bradford | N-1 | 42 | 60 | 18 | 105 | 101 | 99 | 106 | 120 | 117 | 116 | 116 |
East Bradford | N-2 | 69 | 144 | 75 | 234 | 216 | 206 | 206 | 260 | 266 | 263 | 268 |
East Bradford | S-1 | 87 | 202 | 115 | 297 | 287 | 267 | 280 | 334 | 319 | 327 | 328 |
East Bradford | S-2 | 73 | 152 | 79 | 176 | 161 | 158 | 155 | 285 | 299 | 288 | 309 |
East Bradford | TOTAL | 271 | 558 | 287 | 812 | 765 | 730 | 747 | 999 | 1001 | 994 | 1021 |
West Goshen proved to be a lot closer than the rest of the townships in the District, as Dems captured three precincts – North 2 (north of Fern Hill Road, east of U.S. 202), Middle 2 (east of Five Points, north of West Chester Pike, south of Paoli Pike), and South 1 (south of Gay Street, west of Westtown Road – including the off-campus West Chester Commons student housing complex).
| PRECINCT | STR D | STR R | DIFF | TIERNAN | CARTY | SAMUEL | LICZWEK | CARPENTER | WINGERTER | PINLEY | ADSETT |
West Goshen | N-1 | 45 | 108 | 63 | 153 | 142 | 134 | 134 | 187 | 194 | 181 | 180 |
West Goshen | N-2 | 26 | 59 | 33 | 129 | 113 | 121 | 112 | 106 | 115 | 102 | 104 |
West Goshen | N-3 | 40 | 114 | 74 | 138 | 127 | 124 | 117 | 239 | 246 | 242 | 243 |
West Goshen | N-4 | 49 | 104 | 55 | 138 | 126 | 127 | 126 | 215 | 225 | 220 | 228 |
West Goshen | M-1 | 49 | 52 | 3 | 109 | 112 | 102 | 106 | 111 | 110 | 109 | 111 |
West Goshen | M-2 | 65 | 66 | 1 | 156 | 159 | 157 | 155 | 144 | 143 | 139 | 141 |
West Goshen | S-1 | 58 | 43 | -15 | 179 | 164 | 164 | 162 | 99 | 99 | 103 | 112 |
West Goshen | S-2 | 39 | 59 | 20 | 101 | 98 | 87 | 89 | 111 | 120 | 119 | 124 |
West Goshen | S-3 | 57 | 96 | 39 | 138 | 131 | 120 | 126 | 160 | 157 | 161 | 160 |
West Goshen | S-4 | 39 | 92 | 53 | 137 | 126 | 116 | 117 | 171 | 173 | 179 | 173 |
West Goshen | TOTAL | 467 | 793 | 326 | 1378 | 1298 | 1252 | 1244 | 1543 | 1582 | 1555 | 1576 |
Dems also appeared to make some inroads in West Whiteland as well. While the GOP had more straight ticket voters in all seven precincts, the Dems outpolled the GOP in West Whiteland 2 (which includes the Exton Station condo complex) and West Whiteland 5 (east end of the township and the Indian King development).
| PRECINCT | STR D | STR R | DIFF | TIERNAN | CARTY | SAMUEL | LICZWEK | CARPENTER | WINGERTER | PINLEY | ADSETT |
West Whiteland | 1 | 33 | 76 | 43 | 127 | 122 | 110 | 111 | 176 | 180 | 173 | 177 |
West Whiteland | 2 | 61 | 64 | 3 | 150 | 145 | 140 | 131 | 128 | 134 | 123 | 131 |
West Whiteland | 3 | 8 | 24 | 16 | 34 | 33 | 32 | 36 | 47 | 49 | 45 | 44 |
West Whiteland | 4 | 60 | 72 | 12 | 190 | 191 | 172 | 175 | 152 | 162 | 153 | 162 |
West Whiteland | 5 | 62 | 137 | 75 | 180 | 171 | 173 | 163 | 238 | 229 | 227 | 230 |
West Whiteland | 6 | 76 | 154 | 78 | 211 | 197 | 182 | 182 | 325 | 324 | 316 | 324 |
West Whiteland | 7 | 40 | 90 | 50 | 82 | 85 | 82 | 77 | 128 | 132 | 127 | 136 |
West Whiteland | TOTAL | 340 | 617 | 277 | 974 | 944 | 891 | 875 | 1194 | 1210 | 1164 | 1204 |
As noted, the only municipality where the GOP failed to win a single precinct was West Chester. The Dems outpolled the GOP in the straight ticket category by less than 2-to-1. However, it was clearly not enough to overcome the GOP's strong advantage in East Goshen.
| PRECINCT | STR D | STR R | DIFF | TIERNAN | CARTY | SAMUEL | LICZWEK | CARPENTER | WINGERTER | PINLEY | ADSETT |
West Chester | 1 | 85 | 58 | -27 | 255 | 238 | 223 | 210 | 157 | 137 | 141 | 147 |
West Chester | 2-E | 30 | 2 | -28 | 41 | 34 | 35 | 34 | 5 | 5 | 4 | 5 |
West Chester | 2-W | 37 | 11 | -26 | 70 | 69 | 70 | 69 | 22 | 22 | 22 | 22 |
West Chester | 3 | 38 | 24 | -14 | 107 | 101 | 100 | 95 | 54 | 58 | 53 | 52 |
West Chester | 4 | 30 | 11 | -19 | 77 | 75 | 76 | 74 | 30 | 28 | 33 | 31 |
West Chester | 5 | 53 | 34 | -19 | 189 | 193 | 180 | 178 | 91 | 90 | 90 | 93 |
West Chester | 6 | 61 | 39 | -22 | 153 | 147 | 139 | 149 | 76 | 86 | 65 | 82 |
West Chester | 7 | 79 | 43 | -36 | 220 | 204 | 199 | 199 | 88 | 86 | 93 | 96 |
West Chester | TOTAL | 413 | 222 | -191 | 1112 | 1061 | 1022 | 1008 | 523 | 512 | 501 | 528 |
Taking away the straight ticket votes, the Dems would've made this a much closer race. Had that been the case, the Democrats Tiernan and Carty would've actually taken the top two positions in the balloting, with Wingerter and Adsett taking the other two seats.
TIERNAN | CARTY | SAMUEL | LICZWEK | CARPENTER | WINGERTER | PINLEY | ADSETT |
4768 | 4580 | 4228 | 4110 | 4392 | 4503 | 4333 | 4473 |
As was the case with the county-wide row offices, it was yet another case of "close but no cigar" for the Chester County Democrat Party.