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First Posted: 4/8/2013
NANTICOKE — A city man found sitting in a crosswalk in his underwear was arrested Sunday after he allegedly growled at police, claimed to be Jesus and injured an officer, police said.
While on routine patrol at about 3:10 a.m., police observed Carl May sitting in the crosswalk in the middle of East Church Street near Kosciuszko Street. He was wearing only a pair of boxers, police said.
Officer Joseph Buchalski rolled down a window on the cruiser and asked May if he was OK, and May placed his hands on the passenger door, growled and grabbed hold of the Buchalski’s jacket, police said.
Sgt. Brian Williams got out of the cruiser and approached May, who turned and began “closing in on” Williams, police said.
May’s mother came out of a house and pleaded with her son to stop fighting with police, and May told her that he was Jesus. May’s mother told police that he “took acid,” police said.
While Williams and May were struggling, Buchalski shot May with a Taser. May fell to the ground but got up and went after Williams again. It took two more five-second Taser bursts for May to comply with officers and be subdued, police said.
May, 20, of Kosciuszko Street, was taken to Geisinger Wyoming Valley Medical Center in Plains Township and later charged with two counts each of aggravated assault and simple assault, and one count each of resisting arrest, disorderly conduct, harassment, public drunkenness, obstruction of highways and criminal mischief.
May was arraigned before District Judge Donald Whitaker, jailed at the Luzerne County Correctional Facility and subsequently released after posting 10 percent of his $25,000 bail. His preliminary hearing is scheduled for 1:15 p.m. April 17.
Williams suffered a knee injury and was transported to Wilkes-Barre General Hospital for treatment.
SUGAR NOTCH — A man was arrested Saturday on charges he bought pizza and beer with a credit card stolen from a vehicle.
James Charles Gilmore, 22, of Lee Park Avenue, Hanover Township, was charged with two counts of access device fraud and one count each of receiving stolen property and forgery. He remained jailed Monday at the Luzerne County Correctional Facility for lack of $5,000 bail.
According to the criminal complaint:
A homeowner in the 800 block of Main Street reported his wallet containing bank and credit cards was missing from his vehicle on Friday. The homeowner contacted his credit union and learned his bank card was used to buy beer at Hanover Beverage in Hanover Township and pizza at Domino’s in Wilkes-Barre.
Police obtained the receipt and surveillance video at Hanover Beverage that allegedly showed Gilmore using a bank card of the homeowner on Main Street to purchase $19.97 worth of beer. Gilmore told a clerk he was buying beer for a friend using his friend’s card, the complaint says.
Police allege in the complaint Domino’s Pizza delivered a pizza to Gilmore’s residence, where the bank card was used to pay for the food.
Gilmore told police his friend gave him the card claiming it belonged to the friend’s father, the complaint says.
A preliminary hearing is scheduled on April 30 before District Judge Joseph Halesey in Hanover Township.
SCRANTON — A Wilkes-Barre man was injured when he crashed on Interstate 81 on Sunday.
State police at Dunmore said Anthony Gordon, 35, was traveling south on Interstate 81 when his vehicle struck a concrete barrier and a guide rail at about 3:30 a.m.
Gordon was taken to a hospital for a chest injury, state police said.
HANOVER TWP. — Cecelia Ann Tierney of Wilkes-Barre told police her purse was stolen from her vehicle when it was parked in Saint Mary’s Cemetery on Sunday. A rock was used to smash a car window, police said.
WILKES-BARRE — City police reported the following:
* City police are searching for the driver of a silver-colored vehicle, possibly an older-model two-door Chevrolet, who pointed a gun at another driver at Hazle Avenue and South Main Street on Sunday.
Police said a man reported he was being tailgated by a silver vehicle in the area of South Pennsylvania Boulevard and Hazle Avenue. He said he beeped the horn when he was cut off by the driver of the silver vehicle. When the man stopped at Hazle Avenue and South Main Street, the driver of the silver vehicle got out and aimed a gun at him, police said.
*Lorenzo Sosa reported on Friday an unknown person used his Social Security number. Sosa said he learned of the identity theft after receiving a letter from the Internal Revenue Service about owing money.
* A woman reported someone poured something on her vehicle while it was parked in the rear of 210 N. Main St. on Saturday. The vehicle was also scratched on the driver’s side.
LARKSVILLE — State police Bureau of Liquor Control Enforcement reported they recently cited Melynda A. Reese, doing business as Rob’s Pub, 232-234 Nesbitt St., with permitting the price of alcoholic beverages to change within a designated discount pricing period.
NANTICOKE — City police reported the following:
• Kyle Capie reported that someone slashed the passenger side tires of his vehicle while it was parked near his house on East Noble Street.
• Joseph Skladzien, of West Union Street, Nanticoke, reported that someone keyed the side of his son’s vehicle and tried to pry open the passenger door.
• Peter Sepling, of East Grand Street, reported that someone stole plywood and scrap metal — including an old refrigerator — from under his porch.