August 17, 2015 - ChaddsFordLive.com

East Lansdowne man arrested for sexual assault of 5-year-old

Delaware County District Attorney Jack Whelan and the East Lansdowne Police Department announced the arrest of an East Lansdowne man who is charged with molesting a 5-year-old girl who slept over his house after watching the movie, “Frozen.”

Ronald MacNeal, 65, who resides at the 400 block of Pembroke Avenue, was arraigned Sat., Aug. 15 and remanded to the Delaware County Prison after failing to post 10 percent of the $150,000 bail.

He is charged with the rape of a child, involuntary deviate sexual intercourse with a child, aggravated indecent assault of a child, all felonies of the first degree, and sexual assault and indecent assault of a person less than 13 years of age, both felonies of the second degree. He is also charged with indecent exposure and endangering the welfare of children.

The investigation that led to MacNeal’s arrest began on Aug. 13, when the East Lansdowne Police were dispatched to the 800 block of Pembroke Avenue for a report of child assault. Upon arrival, Sgt. James Cadden spoke with the mother of the victim, who stated that her 5-year-old daughter had been uncontrollably urinating on herself for the past several days, and that she had been sexually assaulted.

The mother told authorities that on Friday, Aug 7, she left her daughter overnight in the care of her neighbor, Ronald MacNeal at his residence, and retrieved her daughter the following day. Since picking up her daughter from MacNeal’s residence, her 5-year-old daughter began exhibiting uncharacteristic behavior including urinating on herself numerous times. When asked what was wrong, her daughter lowered her head and said “Ron put his fingers in my privates.” After authorities learned of the alleged abuse, they had the victim immediately transported to the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia for evaluation.

Authorities then arranged for Jodi Kaplan, director of the Delaware County Children’s Advocacy Center and child forensic interviewer, to speak with the victim concerning the alleged abuse. During the interview, the victim told investigators on the night of the assault she was sleeping in MacNeal’s bed after having eaten popcorn and watching the animated movie “Frozen.” She was awakened by MacNeal inserting his fingers in her “private part.” She also described him performing oral sex on her and penetrating her anally with his fingers. She told investigators that he inserted his penis into her mouth.

She told authorities the night of the assault she was wearing a “Frozen” nightgown with both princesses on it and “Frozen” panties with images of snowflakes on them.

After the assault, she told authorities that MacNeal removed and washed her underwear. She described kicking MacNeal and wanting him dead. When investigators asked if he said anything to her, the victim stated he told her “shut up bitch” and threatened to punch her in the face if she told anyone of the assault. Following the interview, and collection of evidence by East Lansdowne Police, Ronald MacNeal was taken into custody and remanded to the Delaware County Prison after failing to post bail.

District Attorney Jack Whelan commended investigators with Lansdowne Police and the Criminal Investigation Division Child, the Special Victims Unit and the Delaware County Child Advocacy Center (CAC) for their collaborative work conducting the investigation into the sex assault of the child.

“The sexual exploitation of children is the most heinous crime because of the long-term physical and emotional damage it causes to the innocent,” said District Attorney Jack Whelan. “I would like to commend Sgt. James Cadden and Det. Mark Bucci for their swift action to secure forensic evidence, and

the investigators with the Child Advocacy Center (CAC) for their immediate response in conducting the forensic interview of the 5-year-old victim, which will prove helpful in the prosecution of this case. I would also like to commend Deputy District Attorney Michael Galantino of the District Attorney’s Special Victims Unit, who is supervising the prosecution of the case.”

To report information relating to this case or information relating to other individuals who may have been victimized by MacNeal, residents are urged to contact Sgt. James Cadden of the East Lansdowne Police Department at 610-259-2308 or County Det. Mark D. Bucci of the Criminal Investigation Division (CID) at 610-891-4700.

The preliminary hearing for Ronald MacNeal is scheduled on Aug. 25 in Yeadon District Court.

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PennDOT issues reminder on school-bus laws

School & Education

As the summer flies by, PennDOT wants to remind motorists that they need to be vigilant as the new school year gets underway.

“Our lives are filled with distractions, but we simply must put them aside and focus on the road ahead when we get behind the wheel,” said PennDOT Secretary Leslie S. Richards in a press release. “Even a momentary distraction – especially around school buses and in school zones — can lead to tragedy.”

Motorists approaching a school bus with its red lights flashing and stop arm extended are required to stop in all directions at least 10 feet from the bus. The only exception to the law occurs when a school bus is stopped on the opposite side of a highway clearly separated by a divider, such as concrete barriers or grass medians. Even in this situation, motorists should remain watchful of students trying to cross the road to catch the bus, the release said.

If convicted of violating Pennsylvania’s school bus stopping law, drivers face a $250 fine, five points on their driving record and a 60-day license suspension.

Students are also exposed to traffic while waiting for buses or walking to the bus stop or school. Motorists are reminded to be cautious and alert when approaching a school bus stop and to stop for pedestrians in crosswalks.

In addition to watching for school buses, motorists should be alert in school zones, which become hubs of vehicle and pedestrian traffic. Motorists are required to slow down to the posted speed limit of 15 mph in school zones. If convicted, violators face a fine and three points on their driving record.

For more information on Pennsylvania’s school bus stopping law, school bus safety tips and programs, visit PennDOT’s highway safety website, www.JustDrivePa.org, and select the “School Bus Safety” link under the Traffic Safety Information Center.

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Derek Larson (from left), Nadia Barakat, and Allison Schell say they are enjoying bouncing ideas off one another.

New hires at CFHS bring burst of enthusiasm

Local News

“Oh Ship!” is emblazoned on t-shirts for the nautically-themed Milton Historical Society – and also represented the published reaction on the society’s Facebook page to the departure of its director.

New hires at the Chadds Ford Historical Society are looking forward to Chadds Ford Days and the Great Pumpkin Carve.

But Delaware’s loss was Delaware County’s gain since Allison Schell resigned to accept the position of program and development manager at the Chadds Ford Historical Society (CFHS), according to Nadia Barakat, CFHS’s executive director.

Schell, a 26-year-old history buff, started at CFHS last week. She will be responsible for all the education programs of the society as well as the development of new programs to increase the nonprofit’s engagement with residents, businesses, schools and other groups within the Chadds Ford community, said Barakat.

In addition to Barakat, Schell joined Derek Larson, who started as office manager in April.

“It’s so exciting; it’s like an idea factory in here,” said Barakat, describing an atmosphere of blissful brainstorming. “Both of them have such creative energy and enthusiasm.”

For Schell, the job offers an opportunity to blend two of her passions: history and art. “I really love being creative, and I love finding ways to make history engaging and fun,” she said.

Schell, who grew up in the Allentown-Bethlehem area, earned a master’s degree in Museum Studies from George Washington University. She received an undergraduate degree in American history with a minor in art history from Dickinson College.

The Revolutionary War period represents her favorite segment of American history, she said, so the opportunity to promote it in an area where it happened really appealed to her.

She said she could trace her fascination with history to her first trip to Williamsburg, Va., at the age of 6 or 7. She recalled enjoying her interactions with the period characters and visiting one house where she was even given some chores. “Obviously, that really stuck with me,” she said.

Her interests were reinforced by her father, a middle-school history teacher who specialized in creating immersive experiences for his students. By the age of 15, Schell was volunteering at a living history museum. She said her father, who’s now retired, just donated two boxes overflowing with educational materials to CFHS.

Although Larson, 31, took a dramatically different path to CFHS, he espouses many of Schell’s sentiments about the importance of preserving history. And to underscore their similar perspectives, they share the same birthday.

Larson grew up in Montana and wanted a different cultural experience in college so he headed east, attending Philadelphia University for accounting. He held several finance jobs at area companies, such as PricewaterhouseCoopers and Beacon Hill Financial.

After living in the city, he moved to Glen Mills and contacted CFHS to see about volunteering. “I’ve always been passionate about nonprofits,” he said.

Larson got even more hooked when he worked on the Great Pumpkin Carve, one of CFHS’s most popular annual fundraisers. “It’s something that you have to see to believe,” he said, describing the awe that the squash artistry routinely generates.

He said he’s equally enamored of another annual fundraiser, Chadds Ford Days. He believes that the popularity of the do-it-yourself movement dovetails well with the artisans who will be demonstrating their wares.

“In today’s world, many people are turning away from mass-marketed products,” he said, suggesting that it’s inspiring to see the workmanship and dedication that goes into handcrafted goods. “What’s old is new again.”

Larson said he and Schell are committed to combining their talents to make CFHS a welcoming environment where residents can pop in, get questions answered, and enjoy the displays and events.

“I’m really interested in changing people’s perceptions of historical societies and historic house museums,” Schell said.

Area residents may want to keep their eyes on the CFHS website at http://www.chaddsfordhistory.org to see the results of their collaboration.

Chadds Ford Days, which began as a way to commemorate the Revolutionary War Battle of Brandywine, will celebrate its 50th anniversary on Sept. 12 and 13. The Great Pumpkin Carve will be held Oct. 22 to Oct. 24.

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Time to fall into the arts at Darlington

Arts & Entertainment

Music, art, dance, and drama will come alive at the Darlington Arts Center, which is now accepting registrations for fall 2015 programs.

Matilda Duong (left) of Garnet Valley and Aarika Patel (right) of Glen Mills join other preschool students for a visual arts activity. Photo courtesy of Evan Chapman

Darlington is dedicated to providing artistic opportunities for all community members: Classes are available for all ages – from preschool through adult – and explore a wide variety of styles. Beginners are welcome in all disciplines, according to a Darlington press release.

The center provides private lessons, on-going weekly classes, one-day workshops, and special programs including an Arts-Integrated Preschool (now offered one, two, three or four days each week) and an Afternoon Kindergarten Enrichment program on Tuesdays.

New for this fall, Darlington is offering the 4 Arts Adventure Club on Wednesdays and Thursdays. Students will explore all four arts – music, visual art, dance, and drama – in this enriching after-school class. Students, who are encouraged to bring a snack and homework, are met at the bus stop and supervised until their class or lesson begins.

Coming up later in the fall, Darlington Arts Center invites the community to a free Back to School Arts Party on Saturday, Oct. 3 from 6 to 8 p.m. The party celebrates music, art, dance, and drama and will include performances and exhibits from Darlington’s professional teaching artists.

“It’s a great way to showcase the amazing talents of our teachers while providing a fun environment for people of all ages to experience the arts” Darlington’s Executive Director Susan N. Quinn in the press release.

Class information and registration is available online at www.darlingtonarts.org, by emailing register@darlingtonarts.org or by calling (610) 358-3632. A 4 percent early-registration discount on group classes is offered through Aug. 18.

Darlington Arts Center, a nonprofit community arts center, serves over 5,000 residents annually. It is located at 977 Shavertown Road, Garnet Valley, less than a mile east of Route 202, just south of Route 1.

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