Local Police Deal With Drunk Driver

A city man with a blood-alcohol concentration of more than four times the legal limit crashed into four parked cars, tried to flee and soiled himself when arrested, police said.

Jeffrey Alan Katchmore, 36, of 208 Fallbrook Street, was charged Nov. 9 with counts of DUI, restriction on alcoholic beverages, accidents involving damage to unattended vehicles or property, reckless driving, careless driving and driving on a sidewalk.

A chemical test taken on the night of the Oct. 11 crash revealed Katchmore's BAC was 0.349 percent at the time, police said. A driver in Pennsylvania is considered intoxicated at 0.08 percent.

The arrest came after Patrolmen Bill Wolfe and Robert Williams responded to a motor vehicle collision in the area of 163 South Church Street, with a verbal confrontation ensuing between the driver and the owner of one of the parked vehicles.

The driver, later identified as Katchmore, tried to flee but there was too much damage to his vehicle, police said.

Williams said he noticed Katchmore's eyes appeared glossy, he was slurring his words and unsteady on his feet. An opened can of Coors Light was found in the center console, police said.

“While walking him to the patrol car, Jeffrey Katchmore stated that he s--- his pants,” according to arrest papers.

Officers asked Katchmore what had happened.

“Jeffrey Katchmore stated that nothing happened,” arrest papers state.

The owners of the damaged vehicles disagreed, as two of them told police they heard the crash, came outside and got into an argument with the defendant as he tried to flee, police said.

Officers noted Katchmore had two prior DUI arrests.

• City police are investigating an armed robbery reported on South Church Street at 8 p.m. Nov. 19.

A resident answering a knock at his door encountered two men, one armed with a gun.

A struggle ensued, with one perpetrator laying on the resident and shoving his hand in his mouth to keep him from screaming. The other perpetrator went into the residence and took a safe.

The suspects then fled toward a wooded area.

Anyone with information is asked to call police at 570-342-9111.

• Nichole Marie Bartosavage, 42, of 12 Summit Place, was charged Nov. 6 with driving under the influence of controlled substances.

According to police:

Patrolmen Dominick Andidora and Anthony Calabro were dispatched to Canaan and Thorn streets for an erratic driver who nearly hit a telephone pole.

The driver, identified as Bartosavage, appeared flustered and told officers she was taking hydrocodone for back pain. She failed sobriety tests and told the officers she had also taken Xanax.

Bartosavage gave Andidora a pill bottle containing five medications. The officer asked if she had prescriptions for each medication. She started to cry and said she only had prescriptions for two of them.

A chemical test revealed Bartosavage had seven medications in her system at the time of the incident.

• A motorist drove into a tobacco shop building after mistakingly thinking it was a drive through establishment.

The 1996 Mercury Mystique driven by Devin Andrew Mroczka, 21, of 18 Birkett Street, jumped a curb and hit an advertising sign and the building housing Mister B.'s Tobacco Shop at 27 Salem Avenue, Patrolman Robert Williams reported.

The sign was smashed and bent but the building sustained no damage.

No injuries were reported and no citations were issued.

• The driver of a Kia SUV did not stop after the vehicle collided with a bicyclist, police said.

Joel Ferris, 25, of 69 Belmont Street, told police he was bicycling at 4:29 p.m. Nov. 3 at Salem and Church streets when the Kia went through the intersection. Ferris said his brakes failed and he hit the side of the SUV, according to police.

Ferris told police the driver slowed down but then kept going. He injured his right wrist and the bike sustained a bent rim.

He told police there were several people at the intersection but no one asked him if he was OK.