LOWER PAXTON TOWNSHIP

March 11, 2010 - UPDATE ON DAYTIME RESIDENTIAL BURGLARIES - Lower Paxton Twp. Police have obtained a warrant of arrest charging LaQuincey Antron Watson, black/male 31-years-of-age, with Criminal Attempt Burglary, a First Degree Felony, for the March 5th incident on McIntosh Rd. In that incident, Watson rang the doorbell of the residence before kicking in the door. He was then confronted by the armed resident of the home and fled in a gray vehicle. Watson’s last known addresses were 401 Walnut St., Apt #3 in Harrisburg, and 204 Forest Oak Lane, Harrisburg. Watson is suspected in at least two other burglaries in that neighborhood that appear to have occurred on the same date as well as numerous others in and around the Harrisburg area. Watson is approximately 6’2” tall and weighs about 200 pounds. He has connections to Georgia. Watson is out on bail for charges stemming from a burglary in Adams County from 12/07/2009.

A reward of up to $2000 for information leading to the arrest of Watson has been authorized by Crimestoppers, (800) 262-3080.

Watson

March 10, 2010 - This sign was stolen from construction site for the new Bishop McDevitt High School at the corner of Springcreek Dr. and Page Rd. (61st St.) overnight from Monday evening to Tuesday morning. Sign is very expensive to replace and its return is being sought.

McDevitt

Anyone with information is urged to contact the Lower Paxton Township Police Department at (717) 657-5656, the anonymous Tip-Line at (717) 724-8317 or Crimestoppers at (800) 262-3080.

March 09, 2010 - Lower Paxton Twp. Police are investigating another daytime burglary. A home in the 1800 block of Brookdale Rd. was discovered to have been burglarized when the residents returned home from a short vacation. Someone had forcibly entered the residence, ransacked numerous rooms and took an as yet undetermined amount of jewelry. Investigators believe that this burglary is related to the one reported on Friday on McIntosh Rd. which is nearby, and in which an armed resident confronted a burglar who had kicked open the front door.
In that incident, the burglar is described as a Black/Male, over 6 feet tall, weighing about 220 pounds and who fled in a gray vehicle. An arrest in that incident is imminent. Investigators believe that it is likely that the same person is responsible for other daytime burglaries in the Township and surrounding municipalities.

Anyone with information is urged to contact the Lower Paxton Township Police Department at (717) 657-5656, the anonymous Tip-Line at (717) 724-8317 or Crimestoppers at (800) 262-3080.

March 09, 2010 - Police seek identification of theft suspect at Kohl's on March 5, at 2:00 PM. See attached photos. The Lower Paxton Police Department is investigating a retail theft, which occurred at Kohl's, 5125 Jonestown Rd. This incident occurred on Friday March 5th at 2:00 PM. In this incident, a White/Female (brown hair, dark framed glasses, green parka with fur around hood) concealed a quantity of clothing on her person and left the store without paying for the clothing. Subject was stopped by store security, but later fled. Subject was driving a white VW hatchback, possibly a GTI, with a black stripe on the sides with another female with blonde hair as a passenger. The subject was caught on store security cameras. Below are a photos of the female and one of the vehicles.

Retail Suspect Retail Vehicle

UPDATE - In reference to the Burglary at the St. Marks Lutheran Church released March 09, 2010, a Dell laptop computer has been discovered as missing from within the church. It now appears that the parishioners who startled the man in the church hallway yesterday interrupted the burglary and the burglar fled possibly with the laptop in the white bag he was seen carrying.

March 09, 2010 -Lower Paxton Twp. Police are investigating a burglary of the St. Marks Lutheran Church, 4200 Londonderry Rd. Yesterday afternoon, two parishioners entered the church at about 2:48 PM for a Youth Meeting and observed an individual who ran away upon being seen. The individual is described as an older white/male, about 5’8” tall with closely cut gray hair, wearing a dark jacket and carrying a white bag. No one was to be in the church at that time and the building was locked. Police were called and the building was searched with assistance from a Susquehanna Twp. Police K-9 Unit. No one was found so it is presumed that he exited the building immediately after being seen. At this time, nothing has been found to be missing.

Anyone with information is urged to contact the Lower Paxton Township Police Department at (717) 657-5656, the anonymous Tip-Line at (717) 724-8317 or Crimestoppers at (800) 262-3080.

March 05, 2010 - Lower Paxton Twp. Police are investigating an incident in the 4000 block of McIntosh Rd. that occurred at approximately 11:18 AM this morning. A resident heard his doorbell ringing but did not recognize the person at the door. Before the resident went to the door, he armed himself with his firearm. He then heard his door being kicked in and he confronted the perpetrator who then fled in a gray vehicle. The perpetrator is described as a Black/Male, over 6 feet tall, approximately 220 pounds and wearing dark clothing. Police are investigating whether or not this incident is related to other daytime burglaries in Lower Paxton Twp. and the Harrisburg Area.

Anyone with information is urged to contact the Lower Paxton Township Police Department at (717) 657-5656, the anonymous Tip-Line at (717) 724-8317 or Crimestoppers at (800) 262-3080.

March 04, 2010 - Numerous high quality counterfeit $20 bills were turned over to Lower Paxton Twp. Police from a Township bank that received them in night deposits from several Township businesses. The bills did verify with a marker and were only discovered when run through an automated system at the bank. So far, five such bills have been discovered, all from different businesses. Four of the five had the same serial number. No suspects have been identified due to the fact that the bills were not discovered until today and were commingled with other currency.

Anyone with information is urged to contact the Lower Paxton Township Police Department at (717) 657-5656, the anonymous Tip-Line at (717) 724-8317 or Crimestoppers at (800) 262-3080.

March 04, 2010 - At approximately 1:30 AM this morning, Lower Paxton Twp. Police stopped a vehicle on N. Mountain Rd. at Ridgeview Dr. for a traffic violation (backing off of the I-81 entrance ramp). The vehicle, which was driven by a 15-year-old female Township resident, was determined to have been stolen from the first block of Joya Circle, Lower Paxton Twp. The vehicle was occupied by three other juvenile Township residents, one 14 years old and the other two 15 years old. The juveniles are being charged through Dauphin County Juvenile Probation with Theft of the vehicle and the driver is also being charged with False ID to Law Enforcement for initially lying about her age and identity. All were released to a parent pending the filing of the charges.

March 03, 2010 - Lower Paxton Twp. Police are investigating the daytime burglary of a residence in the 800 block of S. Nyes Rd. that occurred yesterday. Someone forcibly entered the residence, ransacked numerous rooms within and removed a quantity of jewelry. The residents left the home at 9:15 AM yesterday morning and returned at 3:15 PM yesterday afternoon to find their home burglarized. The loss is estimated at over $3000.00.

Anyone with information is urged to contact the Lower Paxton Township Police Department at (717) 657-5656, the anonymous Tip-Line at (717) 724-8317 or Crimestoppers at (800) 262-3080.

March 02, 2010 - Lower Paxton Twp. Police received a report of an assault that took place last evening at around 9:30 PM. A Township resident was walking in the alley between the area of the 4600 block of Fritchie St. and the 4600 block of Jonestown Rd. when he was attacked by two males who were hiding behind a dumpster and began punching him in the face and head. One of the attackers was yelling “Get him” during the attack. The victim was able to return a punch and struck one of the attackers in self-defense. This appears to be a random attack and not a robbery, as nothing was ever demanded from the victim. It is possible the attack was motivated by the fact that the victim is foreign born. The victim, whose name is being withheld to protect him from retaliation for reporting this event, was treated in a local hospital for injuries incurred during the assault.

The two attackers are described as:

White/Male, shoulder-length dirty blonde hair, approximately 6’ tall

Black/Male, green shirt, approximately 5’5” tall

Anyone with information is urged to contact the Lower Paxton Township Police Department at (717) 657-5656, the anonymous Tip-Line at (717) 724-8317 or Crimestoppers at (800) 262-3080.

March 02, 2010 - Lower Paxton Twp. Police have charged a Township man with Sale or Illegal Use of Certain Solvents, more commonly known as huffing, after an incident yesterday afternoon. Police were called to an apartment in the 600 block of Humphrey Court in the Paxton Park Apartments to check on the welfare of a resident who had not been heard from for about a week. Upon arrival, officers could smell fumes in the hallway of the building. Upon entry into the apartment, police found Michael S. Kreiser, 55 years of age, in a severely intoxicated state surrounded by open cans of paint thinner and the atmosphere full of fumes to the point that the officers had difficulty breathing. Officers have responded to the residence numerous times in the past for the same thing. Kreiser is being charged via summons for the Misdemeanor 3 violation of the Pennsylvania Crimes Code.

Anyone with information is urged to contact the Lower Paxton Township Police Department at (717) 657-5656, the anonymous Tip-Line at (717) 724-8317 or Crimestoppers at (800) 262-3080.

February 26, 2010 - Lower Paxton Twp. Police are investigating two overnight burglaries in the 4500 block of Locust Lane . Between 8:00 PM yesterday and 6:00 AM this morning, someone broke out the front door glass of the GQ Barbershop, entered the business and removed the freestanding ATM. At this time, the dollar loss is undetermined. An adjoining business, Flava Fashions, was also forcibly entered and merchandise was removed from a display.

Anyone with information is urged to contact the Lower Paxton Township Police Department at (717) 657-5656, the anonymous Tip-Line at (717) 724-8317 or Crimestoppers at (800) 262-3080.

February 26, 2010 - Lower Paxton Twp. Police are investigating two burglaries reported yesterday. A residential burglary was reported at an apartment in the 4700 block of Crown Ave. In that burglary, someone forcibly entered the apartment and removed a flat screen TV, a video game system, some video games and a laptop computer. It occurred between 7:00 AM and 6:00 PM yesterday. In an unrelated incident, a burglary was reported at Commonwealth Connections Academy , 4050 Crums Mill Rd. In the burglary, someone forcibly entered offices and a storage room to remove three digital projectors valued at over $2700. It is believed that the incident occurred during the first week of February but was only discovered yesterday.

Anyone with information is urged to contact the Lower Paxton Township Police Department at (717) 657-5656, the anonymous Tip-Line at (717) 724-8317 or Crimestoppers at (800) 262-3080.

February 23, 2010 - Lower Paxton Twp. Police are investigating a burglary of a kiosk in the Food Court area of the Colonial Park Mall, 4600 Jonestown Rd. Between 6:30 PM on Sunday, February 21st, and 9:00 AM, February 22nd, someone forced open cabinet doors of the Samantha’s II Jewelry and stole almost $50,000 in jewelry and computer equipment. Earrings, gold chains and crucifixes were taken along with the DVR surveillance system.

Anyone with information is urged to contact the Lower Paxton Township Police Department at (717) 657-5656, the anonymous Tip-Line at (717) 724-8317 or Crimestoppers at (800) 262-3080.

February 23, 2010 - Lower Paxton Twp. Police are investigating a burglary of a kiosk in the Food Court area of the Colonial Park Mall, 4600 Jonestown Rd. Between 6:30 PM on Sunday, February 21st, and 9:00 AM, February 22nd, someone forced open cabinet doors of the Samantha’s II Jewelry and stole almost $50,000 in jewelry and computer equipment. Earrings, gold chains and crucifixes were taken along with the DVR surveillance system.

Anyone with information is urged to contact the Lower Paxton Township Police Department at (717) 657-5656, the anonymous Tip-Line at (717) 724-8317 or Crimestoppers at (800) 262-3080.

February 18, 2010 - Beginning on January 20th, multiple Harrisburg area jurisdictions experienced a series of convenience store robberies. The robberies shared a similar MO: a single male suspect entering a convenience store armed with a large knife with his face covered to conceal his identity. Police from several agencies actively worked together in an attempt to identify the person(s) responsible for these robberies.

On February 9th, officers from the Middletown Police Department responded to a suspicious person call in the area of a 7-11 in their borough. They stopped and identified a Derek Ginter in relation to the suspicious person call. Further investigation by Middletown Police led to the arrest of Ginter for a drug violation. Ginter later admitted to Middletown Police that he had driven a Nicholaus Kettoman to Middletown to rob a 7-11. Middletown Police then obtained a warrant for Kettoman, charging him with the attempted robbery of the Middletown 7-11.

Officers from other agencies located Kettoman later that night (February 9th) and arrested him on the Middletown warrant. Additional investigation by officers from several Police Departments has led to additional charges being filed against Kettoman.

On February 18, 2010 at 3:00 PM, Kettoman will be charged and arraigned on an additional ten counts of robbery. Kettoman will also be charged with one count of Conspiracy to Commit Robbery. The robberies, which occurred in four different counties, are being charged on one criminal complaint by the Swatara Township Police Department in Dauphin County.

Kettoman is being charged with the following additional robberies:

01/20/2010 2257 hrs. Swatara Twp., Dauphin County , Hess, 4300 Derry St

01/21/2010 2140 hrs. East Pennsboro Twp., Cumberland Co., Uni-Mart, 711 Wertzville Road

01/22/2010 2300 hrs. Shermansdale, Perry County , Subway, 5190 Spring Road

01/23/2010 0054 hrs. Susquehanna Twp., Dauphin Co., 7-11, 514 North Progress Ave.

01/23/2010 1831 hrs. Camp Hill, Cumberland Co., Speedy Mart, 1715 market Street

01/23/2010 2020 hrs. Lower Paxton Twp., Dauphin Co., Sunoco, 116 North Mountain Rd.

01/24/2010 2134 hrs. Hampden Twp., Cumberland Co., Hess, Carlisle Pike

02/03/2010 0052 hrs. Chambersburg, Franklin Co., Hess, Lincoln Highway

02/03/2010 0657 hrs. Carlisle, Cumberland Co., Getty Mart, 815 W. High Street

02/08/2010 0250 hrs. Shippensburg, Cumberland Co., Turkey Hill, Rt. 11

Ginter will face two additional charges of robbery and one count of conspiracy to commit robbery. Ginter will be arraigned on February 19th. Investigation is continuing in this case to determine if additional charges will be filed.

Officers from Swatara Twp. PD, East Pennsboro Twp. PD, PSP Troop H Newport Station and PSP Troop H Harrisburg Station, Susquehanna Twp. PD, Camp Hill PD, Lower Paxton Twp. PD, Hampden Township PD, Chambersburg PD, Carlisle PD, Shippensburg PD and Middletown PD actively worked to solve these crimes. This investigation is an excellent example of diverse law enforcement agencies working together to remove a violent offender from the streets.

(We do not have a mug shot but Middletown had previously released photos of both of these subjects.)

Anyone with information is urged to contact the Lower Paxton Township Police Department at (717) 657-5656 or Crimestoppers at (800) 262-3080.

February 17, 2010 - Lower Paxton Twp. Police are investigating the theft of a guitar from the office of the Calvary United Methodist Church, 4700 Locust Lane, between January 10, 2010 and February 5, 2010. The theft was reported this morning. The guitar is a wood-colored Ovation Acoustic Electric Model #1863, made in 1990, and bought for $600.00. It was in a black Ovation hard case.

Police are also investigating a burglary of a detached garage located in the 5400 block of Union Deposit Rd. Taken from the garage was a chainsaw, jumper cables and leads from a welding unit. The items were taken between February 1, 2010 and this morning.

Police are also investigating a report of an attempted Burglary of an occupied residence in the 500 block of Rutherford Rd. on February 12, 2010 at approximately 1:35 AM. A resident heard someone attempting to force open his front door and turned on the outside light. He then saw two subjects fleeing the front of his residence, one a light skinned male wearing a Steeler jacket and a knit hat and the other a male wearing dark clothing and a knit hat.

Anyone with information is urged to contact the Lower Paxton Township Police Department at (717) 657-5656 or Crimestoppers at (800) 262-3080.

February 12, 2010 - A new twist to the Canadian Lottery scam has been reported to the Lower Paxton Twp. Police. Yesterday, a resident reported that he had received a telephone call from a man claiming to be a Customs Agent from Canada who told him that he had won the lottery and needed only to pay a duty tax of $2500 to have his winnings of two checks for $250,000 each delivered to his residence. He was to utilize Western Union to send the cash. Suspecting a scam, he called 911 and requested to speak to a police officer. Before a Lower Paxton Officer could call him, he received a call from someone who said he was “Ofc. Franklin Smith of the Lower Paxton Twp. Police” who told him that the lottery was legitimate and that the Police Department had a fax from the IRS verifying its legitimacy. When the Lower Paxton Officer did call, the resident was confused and told him that he already spoke to an officer. The Department has no Officers by that name. He did not send the money and incurred no loss.

This sophistication in research is new and alarming. The scammers anticipated the reaction of the victim and were prepared to project as much legitimacy as possible into their scam. Residents are encouraged to demand proof of identity of law enforcement officials under similar circumstances that may be best accomplished by speaking to the officials in person instead of over the phone.

Anyone with information is urged to contact the Lower Paxton Township Police Department at (717) 657-5656 or Crimestoppers at (800) 262-3080.

February 12, 2010 - Lower Paxton Twp. Police were called to Central Dauphin East Sr. High School this morning at approximately 9:35 AM by the School Resource Officer (a Lower Paxton Twp. Police Officer permanently assigned to the school) for numerous fights in progress in the Art Wing. A near riot involving a crowd estimated in excess of 100 students gathered in the hallway while teachers and administrators attempted to disperse the crowd and restrain and detain combatants. Numerous fistfights were in progress involving mainly female students within the crowd. The incident ended shortly after the arrival of uniformed police officers. Police are reviewing video surveillance and interviewing school staff to determine who to charge and the appropriate charges. Numerous criminal charges are anticipated.

Anyone with information is urged to contact the Lower Paxton Township Police Department at (717) 657-5656 or Crimestoppers at (800) 262-3080.

February 12, 2010 - Lower Paxton Twp. Police were contacted on January 8, 2010 by the Dauphin County Agency on Aging who were conducting an investigation into the condition of an 84 year old female who resided in the 1000 block of Summerwood Dr. with her daughter. The Case Worker, responding to a complaint from a worker for United Cerebral Palsy, discovered that the elderly female was unconscious, emaciated and covered in bedsores. As a result, she summoned EMS and the female was taken to a local hospital. A police investigation was initiated and, as a result, the daughter, Joanne Veronica Hillard, 53 years of age, is being charged via summons with Neglect of a Care-Dependent Person, a first-degree misdemeanor. The victim is now residing in a nursing home following her release from the hospital. In addition, investigation revealed that Hillard was submitting time sheets to the United Cerebral Palsy in her husband's name for him to be paid for caring for her mother even though he was incarcerated at the times she said he was working. For this, Hillard is charged with one count of Theft by Deception, also a first-degree misdemeanor.