MedleyStory

Police search for suspect accused of robbing Chinese restaurant in Leechburg

Sun, 12 Feb 2012 16:19:46 -0500

Police are looking for a man accused of robbing a restaurant in Armstrong County.

Officials said the armed robbery happened at the China King Restaurant in Leechburg Sunday around noon.

The suspect is described as a male who was wearing a brown suede jacket, police said.

No other information has been released.

Anyone with information is asked to contact police.

Steelers WR Ward says he’s willing to restructure contract

Sun, 12 Feb 2012 15:40:59 -0500

PITTSBURGH (AP) -- Steelers' wide receiver Hines Ward wants to finish his career in Pittsburgh, offering to restructure his contract to do it.

Ward posted on his Facebook page Saturday that he's already told the Steelers he's willing to work with them on altering his deal so he can remain with the team.

Ward's comments came after NFL.com reported the team was planning to cut the franchise's all-time leading receiver.

The 35-year-old Ward is scheduled to make $4 million in 2012. He's coming off a season in which he finished with 46 receptions for 381 yards and two touchdowns, the lowest totals in each category since he was a rookie in 1998.

Ward became the eighth player in league history to reach 1,000 career receptions in the regular-season finale against Cleveland.

Pitt loses late lead, falls to Seton Hall 73-66

Sun, 12 Feb 2012 15:28:24 -0500

NEWARK, N.J. (AP) — Herb Pope scored 19 points, including four free throws in final 10 seconds, and grabbed 14 rebounds to lead Seton Hall to a 73-66 victory over Pittsburgh on Sunday.

Freshman Aaron Cosby had a season-high 19 points for the Pirates (17-8, 6-7 Big East), who their second straight after a six-game losing streak.

Ashton Gibbs had 26 points, including 15 of Pittsburgh's final 19 of the game to lead the Panthers (15-11, 4-9), who have lost two straight as they try to recover from an 0-7 start in the conference.

Nasir Robinson's layup with 8:12 to play gave Pittsburgh a 61-55 lead. With 6:40 to play, Seton Hall's Fuquan Edwin scored on a drive but was called a charge on the play. It was the fifth personal foul for the best defensive player on the Pirates, but the points started a 10-0 run that ended with Haralds Karlis' 3-pointer with 4:37 left, his only points of the game.

Gibbs hit a jumper with 3:58 left to make it 65-63, but Jordan Theodore, who finished with 15 points and nine assists, hit a short jumper to make it 67-63 with 3:36 left.

Gibbs hit all three free throws after being fouled taking a 3 with 1:27 left. Pope scored down low on a pass from Theodore with 30 seconds left.

Freshman Brandon Mobley stole the ball from Pittsburgh point guard Tray Woodall on the next possession. As Seton Hall passed the ball to waste time, Robinson was called for a flagrant foul on Pope at midcourt.

Pope made the two free throws and on the ensuing possession, he was fouled with 9.7 seconds left and made both for the final margin.

Cosby finished 5 of 9 from 3-point range as the Pirates went 10 of 23 from beyond the arc.

Lamar Patterson added 15 points for the Panthers.

Resident returns home to see flames shooting through roof in Mount Lebanon

Sun, 12 Feb 2012 14:09:33 -0500

Firefighters battled a house fire Saturday morning in Mount Lebanon.

Officials said a resident of the house on South Meadowcroft Avenue returned home around 11 a.m. and saw flames shooting through the roof.

Crews said the fire appeared to have started in the chimney and spread to other areas of the house.

No one was injured in the blaze.

The cause of the fire is under investigation.

Maintenance on inbound Squirrel Hill Tunnel planned Sunday through Wednesday nights

Sun, 12 Feb 2012 13:51:41 -0500

The Pennsylvania Department of Transportation announced Sunday that westbound traffic through the Squirrel Hill Tunnel on Interstate 376 will be restricted to a single lane through Wednesday night.

Single lane traffic will occur from 10 p.m. until 5 a.m. each night while crews perform maintenance, officials said.

PennDOT officials have not said what the maintenance will consist of.

Derry Twp. men accused of videotaping sex act on passed out woman

Sun, 12 Feb 2012 13:04:29 -0500

Two men were arrested Thursday accused of videotaping a sex act involving a woman who had passed out at their home in Derry Township after drinking alcohol.

According to Channel 11’s news exchange partners at TribLIVE, Chris Brodmerkel, 29, and Nathaniel Trautman, 31, are accused of videotaping a woman at their Raymond Avenue home on Dec. 23.

Police said they began their investigation Monday when the victim reported that she had seen the video on a cellphone.

“The alleged victim said it looked like she was unconscious because she wasn’t moving,” State Police Trooper John Zalich said. “She said she was unaware of the things that were done to her and she did not consent to any of it.”

Authorities said they confiscated Brodmerkel’s cellphone after obtaining a search warrant. The cellphone had three videos of an alleged sex act being performed.

“The alleged victim said she had no idea of this happening and would never had known if her friend wouldn’t have told her about the video,” Zalich said.

Brodmerkel and Trautman are being held in the Westmoreland County Jail and face charges of criminal conspiracy, aggravated indecent assault and indecent assault.

A preliminary hearing in tentatively scheduled for Wednesday.

Mine worker injured in West Finley Township

Sun, 12 Feb 2012 12:49:49 -0500

A mine worker was taken to a local hospital Saturday night after being injured in Washington County.

The victim, whose name and condition have not been released, was injured at the Consol Energy Mine in West Finley Township around 6 p.m.

Crews said the victim had to be driven to the hospital, instead of flown, because of the weather.

Officials have not released any other information about the incident.

Blaze destroys former church in Arona

Sun, 12 Feb 2012 12:10:01 -0500

Firefighters battled flames at a former church in Westmoreland County late Saturday night and into Sunday morning.

Firefighters worked in cold temperatures as they tried to extinguish the fire at the former Church of the Nazarene building on Main Street in Arona around 11 p.m.

Scott Tavsek owns the former church and said he planned on turning the building into a garage.

Tavsek was the first person to notice the flames and tried to fight the fire himself.

“I started to put a hose on it,” Tavsek said. “I tried to put it out in the back because it was burning back by the wood burner. I took a hose to it until the fire companies got here and then those guys took over.”

No injuries were reported in the blaze.

The cause of the fire is under investigation.

Saturday's blaze was the second time in three years that fire destroyed a building Pavsek owned in Arona.

The house he and his wife lived in was destroyed by fire on Jan. 28, 2009. That fire was caused by an electrical problem.

"We lost everything in our house," Pavsek said about the January 2009 fire. "I'm sick of fires."

Man accused of beating girlfriend’s 11-year-old son to death

Sun, 12 Feb 2012 11:57:31 -0500

PITTSBURGH -- Pittsburgh police said a man beat his girlfriend's 11-year-old son to death Saturday night by striking him with various objects as a form of discipline.

Cynthia McKee called police late Saturday to report that her boyfriend had assaulted her son, Donovan McKee, while she was at work and that the boy was now unresponsive.

When police arrived to the apartment in the Rochelle Towers on Knox Avenue, they found the mother's boyfriend, 29-year-old Anthony Bush, tending to Donovan. Police said McKee had a head wound and didn't have a pulse.

Emergency responders did CPR and McKee regained a slight pulse. He was taken to a hospital and died from his injuries early Sunday.

According to the criminal complaint, Bush said he beat McKee because he wouldn’t vacuum the apartment.

The complaint also said that Bush admitted to police on the scene, “I did it. I did it.”

Neighbors of the McKees were very emotional and upset Sunday as they found out about Donovan’s death.

“I I just wish I could have done something to help,” a woman who wished to remain anonymous said. “I regret it so bad because I knew.”

The anonymous neighbor said she heard the incident Saturday night and knew something bad was going on.

I saw them taking pictures and taking bags out of the house,” the neighbor said. “All of our hearts are broken because no child deserves to be murdered.”

Police said Bush will be charged with homicide. He is in police custody at Allegheny County Jail.

Firefighters quickly extinguish Penn Hills chimney fire

Sat, 11 Feb 2012 17:50:14 -0500

Firefighters were able to quickly extinguish a fire Saturday afternoon in Penn Hills.

Officials said the fire started in the chimney of a house on Collins Street around 3:30 p.m.

Crews contained the fire to the chimney and everyone was able to safely get out of the house.

Penn Hills fire chief Randy Dolton said the fire probably started because of a buildup of creosote, which is residue left behind after burning coal or wood.

"It's pretty common with these chimney fires that people don't have them checked before winter," Dolton said. "Then you get creosote built up in them and you get a good fire in there."
oc: thats what happens

Dolton said it’s a good idea to have chimneys cleaned once a year.

Westmoreland County sheriff conducts civil raid at home show

Sat, 11 Feb 2012 17:41:20 -0500

The Westmoreland County sheriff is planning to hold an auction after a civil raid Saturday at a home show in Greensburg.

According to police, Kelly Simon Productions, the show’s coordinator, was one of several defendants in a settlement suit.

Officers collected property at the Westmoreland County Home Show after the company lost the settlement.

“There is a judgment against the number of defendants listed in this case, and this is the way to enforce the judgment,” Westmoreland County Sheriff Jonathan Held said.

The auction will be held on Tuesday at the sheriff’s office in Greensburg from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m.

4 injured in head-on crash on Route 422 in West Franklin Township

Sat, 11 Feb 2012 17:14:07 -0500

Four people were injured in a head-on car crash in West Franklin Township Saturday.

Officials said four people, whose names and conditions have not been released, were taken to local hospitals after the crash on Route 422 near Ruth Hill Road around 5 p.m.

The cause of the crash is under investigation.

No other details about the crash have been released.

Stay with Channel 11 News and WPXI.com as details continue to develop.

Offense explodes in Penguins’ 8-5 victory over Winnipeg

Sat, 11 Feb 2012 17:04:00 -0500

Evgeni Malkin added to his NHL-leading point total, scoring a goal and dishing out four assists as the Pittsburgh Penguins rolled past the Winnipeg Jets 8-5 on Saturday.

Kris Letang scored twice and had an assist for the Penguins. Richard Park notched his 100th career NHL goal, and Jordan Staal scored in his first game after missing more than a month with a left knee injury.

James Neal, Chris Kunitz and Dustin Jeffery also scored for the Penguins, who erased an early 2-0 deficit and won their fifth straight home game.

Tim Stapleton, Dustin Byfuglien and Bryan Little all had a goal and an assist for the Jets, but Winnipeg couldn't keep up when the Penguins got going. Ondrej Pavelec stopped just 31 of 39 shots and fell to 1-9 against Pittsburgh.

Pittsburgh's Marc-Andre Fleury wasn't much sharper, stopping 20 of 25 shots, but he had the luxury of playing behind an offense that dazzled at times.

The Jets, coming off a remarkable 3-2 shootout win over Washington on Thursday in which they scored twice in the final three minutes of regulation to force overtime, appeared ready to post their second major road win in three days after racing to a 2-0 lead barely eight minutes in.

Yet there is a reason the Jets, formerly the Atlanta Thrashers, haven't won in Pittsburgh since 2006. Burmistrov's 10th goal of the season seemed to wake up the Penguins, who responded behind the brilliant play of Malkin.

The Russian played in his 400th regular-season game, and he appears to be getting better with age. In the midst of the finest stretch of his career, Malkin displayed all of his talents.

He set up Neal's 29th goal by flipping a faceoff back to Neal at the top of the circle to tie the game at 2. Early in the second, he fed Kunitz, with a secondary assist from Fleury, to put Pittsburgh in front. He jump-started a 2-on-1 break midway through the second period that ended with Letang scoring his sixth of the season.

Malkin wasn't done, netting his 30th of the season on a breakaway late in the second period by deking his way past a sprawled Pavelec.

The Jets, 26th in the NHL in scoring, tried valiantly to keep pace. Winnipeg drew within 5-4 early in the third period when Byfuglien beat Fleury with a wrist shot, but Park pushed Pittsburgh back in front by two when he deflected Brooks Orpik's shot from the point by Pavelec.

The forward, a 14-year veteran, raised his arms in triumph after reaching the 100-goal plateau.

Park's goal was a pleasant surprise, but the Penguins hope Staal's return would help take some pressure off the line of Malkin, Neal and Kunitz.

Staal, who hadn't played since Jan. 6, assisted on Jeffrey's goal. He scored his first since Dec. 29 in the third period after Dupuis stripped a Winnipeg player and fed Staal in the slot.

It was a good sign for a team optimistic Crosby will return before the postseason, though it's unlikely he'll get the chance to play with longtime linemate and good friend Kunitz whenever Crosby gets back on the ice.

Since Crosby returned to the injured list due to the recurrence of concussion-like symptoms, Kunitz has teamed with Malkin and Neal to form the most potent line in the league.

The trio has scored 40 of the team's last 79 goals, dating to Dec. 10, including three on Saturday while combining for 11 points.

NOTES: The Penguins will host Tampa Bay on Sunday night. The Jets will host the New York Islanders on Tuesday. ... Fleury's assist was the 10th of his career. ... The Penguins have won 10 straight at home over the Jets franchise. ... Randy Jones, Eric Fehr and Mark Flood were scratched by Winnipeg. Ben Lovejoy and Tyler Kennedy sat out for Pittsburgh.

Occupy Pittsburgh protesters hold rally demanding healthcare

Sat, 11 Feb 2012 16:50:37 -0500

Less than one week after leaving, Occupy Pittsburgh protesters teamed up Saturday with another organization to demand healthcare for “the 99 percent.”

The Western Pennsylvania Coalition for Single-Payer Healthcare met the protesters in front of the Steel Tower Saturday and held a rally against the actions of Pittsburgh’s two biggest health insurance companies, UPMC and Highmark.

“I personally am uncomfortable living in a world where people can die because they don’t have $800 per month to buy health insurance,” said protester Kristyn Felman. “We’re out here to stand up for that injustice.”

After the rally, the group marched to the Highmark building.

Winter weather leads to dangerous driving conditions around Pittsburgh

Sat, 11 Feb 2012 12:47:51 -0500

Most of Pittsburgh’s main roads were cleared quickly Saturday, but drivers on side roads and ones outside the city have experienced varying difficulties.

A woman was unharmed when her car rolled onto its roof on 7^th Street in Ross Township.

Gabby Kuhns said was driving along 7^th Street when winter weather conditions forced her to lose control. Her car went off the road, hit an embankment and ended up on its roof in a nearby small creek.

“I was coming down the hill and I don't think it had been plowed,” Kuhns said. “I was picking up speed and I couldn't stop. My car went into the embankment and flipped over."

Kuhns was able to get out of the vehicle without suffering any injuries. Crews pulled her car, which suffered noticeable damage, to the top of the hill.

Another rollover crash happened on Interstate 79 North. Crews quickly responded to the scene and no injuries were reported.

Karen Durler, who lives on the North Side, said her road was left unattended.

“I realize they have to do main streets first, but these are dangerous too,” Durler said.

Bob Herman-Fritz woke up early Saturday to shovel his driveway and sidewalk in Reserve Township.

“I had 46 years working out in the cold and stuff like that. Your body adapts to it,” Herman-Fritz said.

Officials are urging drivers to continue to use caution when driving in the Pittsburgh area.

Bank robbery suspect caught on camera in Saxonburg

Sat, 11 Feb 2012 12:28:46 -0500

Police have released surveillance photos of a man accused of robbing a Saxonburg bank Friday night.

Officials said the suspect walked into Citizen’s Bank on Main Street around 3 p.m. and demanded cash from the teller.

“It’s our hope with the quality of the picture we have that someone will recognize the individual and let us know,” Saxonburg police chief Joseph Beachem said. “The note said to put money in the bag now. At some point he verbally told the teller that was it, grabbed the bag and ran from the bank.”

Beachem said the suspect was wearing a hooded sweatshirt and had red hair. He also said the dye pack exploded so there could be red dye on the suspect or his getaway car.

“There’s a possibility he may have red staining from the dye pack somewhere on him,” Beachem said.

Anyone with information is asked to contact police.

1 killed, another injured in Lawrence Co. blaze

Sat, 11 Feb 2012 12:09:06 -0500

One person was killed Saturday morning when flames destroyed a two-story house in Lawrence County.

According to police, Vaughnie Schwartz, 51, was killed in the fire that started just after 4 a.m. at a house on Scott Wallace Road in Little Beaver Township.

Officials said Schwartz and three other adults were inside the house at the time of the blaze. Donald Jurasko, 29, suffered moderate injuries in the fire, police said. The other two adults were not injured.

Crews had difficulty getting to the house because of the icy conditions.

The cause of the fire is under investigation.

Trial ordered for man accused in Duquesne fatal shooting

Sat, 11 Feb 2012 11:42:24 -0500

PITTSBURGH (AP) -- A Duquesne man has been ordered to stand trial in the shooting death of teenager during a family gathering in a Pittsburgh-area apartment last month.

Officials said a 14-year-old youth testified Friday in Allegheny County that he watched 16-year-old Daniel Peek die in his mother's arms after the Jan. 14 shooting.

Authorities said three gunmen fired shots into a unit at the Hilltop Parkview Manor Apartments in Duquesne, where the victim was watching a football game with nine of his relatives. He was killed and several others were wounded.

Eric Barlow, 21, of Duquesne, was ordered to stand trial on charges of homicide, attempted homicide, aggravated assault and other counts.

Authorities are asking the public for information to identify the other two gunmen.

Police: Missing teen caught working as prostitute in Pittsburgh

Sat, 11 Feb 2012 11:38:50 -0500

PITTSBURGH (AP) -- A 14-year-old girl who had been missing for nearly a year was arrested after Pittsburgh police said they caught her working as a prostitute.

Officials said two adults were also arrested on prostitution-related charges.

Police said workers at Three Rivers Youth, a juvenile facility, reported the girl missing on March 3.

According to police, detectives working on the case received a tip last month that the girl was posting provocative pictures of herself online. Then they found a phone number from a website known for publishing prostitution-related ads.

Police said detectives arranged to meet the girl Friday at a hotel, where the three were arrested.

The unidentified girl was charged with prostitution. A 22-year-old woman also was charged with prostitution, while a 36-year-old man was charged with multiple crimes, including sexual abuse of children.

2 men found dead after Wilkinsburg shooting

Sat, 11 Feb 2012 11:31:54 -0500

WILKINSBURG, Pa. (AP) – Police have identified the two men who were fatally shot in Wilkinsburg early Saturday morning.

The county medical examiner’s office said Roman Herring, 21, of Pittsburgh, and Leron Brown, 21, of Wall, were shot around 12:45 a.m.

Authorities said the gunfire happened near a Wilkinsburg intersection and the victims were found in a car parked on the street.

Stay with Channel 11 News and WPXI.com as details continue to develop.

Man fatally shot in North Side; police search for suspects

Fri, 10 Feb 2012 17:42:45 -0500

Police are searching for three suspects accused of fatally shooting another man on the North Side Friday.

According to police, Sean Blackwell, 35, was shot in the chest inside an apartment on Termon Avenue around 5 p.m.

Blackwell was taken to Allegheny General Hospital, where he was pronounced dead a few hours later.

Police said Blackwell and another man went to the apartment to complete a drug deal. When they walked into the kitchen area of the apartment, they were confronted by Keith Pack, Mark Davis and an unknown third man, police said.

Authorities said one of the men shot Blackwell while the other two assaulted Blackwell’s companion.

The three suspects fled the scene in a white Ford F-150 truck and a dark green Jeep Grand Cherokee, police said.

Anyone with information on the shooting is asked to contact police.

Consumer report: how to spot a counterfeit product

Fri, 10 Feb 2012 17:24:38 -0500

Days after a multi-million dollar counterfeit bust by Homeland Security, we have a warning about knockoffs. Target 11 Consumer Investigator Robin Taylor uncovers the top five counterfeit products and how to spot them.

These days, counterfeits are of higher quality than ever before and some replicas are so good, they're hard to detect, and street corners aren't the only place you'll find them.

CNN Money put together this list of the top knockoffs and how to spot them.

1. Clothes and Shoes

To spot a fake, check out things like the zippers and the stitching, because counterfeits will usually be a little off.

2. Perfume

Give it a smell test. Knockoffs will generally not smell like the real deal.

3. Prescription Drugs

Your best bet is to pay attention to the size, shape, color and taste of the medicines you normally take. Gambling with counterfeit drugs can be risky.

4. Watches

The best way to tell if a watch is a counterfeit is to look at the box and the certificate.

5. Electronics

This is a little tricky, because counterfeit electronics can be harder to spot. Look for things like buttons on the wrong side or knobs that are the wrong color.

Counterfeiters have gotten some of their fakes into brick and mortar stores, but there is a tell-tale sign to look for, and that's that the price is way off from what it should be.

The best way to protect yourself is to shop at a store you know and trust.

Car, school van collide on Route 819 in Bell Township

Fri, 10 Feb 2012 17:06:09 -0500

A school van and a car slammed into each other Friday afternoon on Route 819 in Bell Township.

Officials said the crash happened around 3:30 p.m. and no injuries were reported.

According to police, four students were in the van at the time of the crash.

The cause of the crash is under investigation.

Bishop Zubik not happy with Obama's birth control policy

Fri, 10 Feb 2012 16:45:30 -0500

Bishop David Zubik is not happy with President Barack Obama’s announced compromise on his controversial birth control policy.

“He announced what they’re calling a compromise,” Zubik said. “I still believe that’s a violation of the First Amendment of the Constitution.”

The White House had proposed that religious employers like charities and hospitals would be forced to provide birth control to workers free of charge.

After backlash from the Catholic Church and Republicans, Obama said Friday that insurance companies would instead be required to offer free coverage.

Zubik said the plan doesn’t fix anything and still violates the church’s ban on contraceptives.

“My concern is that insurance people are going to have to pay for it and they’re not going to require religious institutions to pay for it,” Zubik said. “I simply hope the president repeals the mandate.”

Story: Obama adjusts birth control policy after protests

Lawrence County police investigate death of 2-month-old baby

Fri, 10 Feb 2012 16:07:02 -0500

Police in Lawrence County are investigating the death of a 2-month-old baby.

Officials said 911 dispatchers in New Wilmington received a call around 3 a.m. Friday about an unconscious baby.

EMS crews unsuccessfully tried to resuscitate the baby at the scene. The baby, whose name has not been released, was rushed to Jameson Hospital in New Castle and pronounced dead a short time later.

The coroner said the death does not appear suspicious, but more information will be available once an autopsy is completed.