The Kennett Township Police Department is warning residents about a possible child-luring attempt.
Police said the incident occurred on Wednesday, April 13, about 3:20 p.m. in the 1000 block of East Baltimore Pike, between Lenape Road and Kennett Pike in Kennett Township. A white male approximately 35 years old with a full beard, wearing a black shirt, sunglasses and a hat and operating a black Hyundai Sonata (unknown registration) stopped behind a school bus from which children were exiting, said a police press release.
A passenger in the vehicle, who was described as a white male, approximately 20 years of age, clean shaven, and wearing a black shirt, was reported to have yelled to a child who had exited the bus: “Come here; you want some candy?”
Police said the child fled toward home without incident. The vehicle was last seen traveling northeast on East Baltimore Pike, the release said.
Anyone with information is urged to contact Kennett Police Officer Amanda Wenrich at 610-388-2874, ext. 304, or email Amanda.wenrich@kennett.pa.us.
Every year in April, the Office for Victims of Crime helps lead communities throughout the country in their annual observances of National Crime Victims’ Rights Week: April 10 through April 16.
Attendees at the 2015 Annual Candlelight Vigil and Memorial Service in Chester County salute the flag.
In Chester County, the Crime Victims’ Center will hold its 25th Annual Candlelight Vigil and Memorial Service, an effort to provide words of comfort, hope and challenge to those who have experienced the interminable pain of losing a loved one to violence.
In Delaware County, the District Attorney’s Office and members of Delaware County’s Victims Policy Funding Board will recognize victim advocates whose mission is to assist others in need and have provided extraordinary care and treatment for victims of crime.
On Wednesday, April 13, U.S. Sen. Pat Toomey will be recognized for his efforts to ensure the disbursement of federal funds to victims of crime, and Upper Darby Township Police Det. Raymond Blohm will be honored for the unwavering commitment that led to the incarceration of three dangerous criminals who brutality victimized a 22-year-old mother on Christmas Day in 2012. At 7 p.m., Parents of Murdered Children will hold a candlelight vigil in Courtroom One of the Delaware County Courthouse.
The Chester County vigil will take place on Thursday, April 14. It will begin at 6:30 p.m. with a service at the Central Presbyterian Church in Downingtown followed by a candlelight walk to the nearby Victims’ Memorial at The Ponds in Kardon Park. It will conclude with a reception at the church. The annual event remembers homicide victims as well as law enforcement personnel killed in the line of duty.
Victim advocates say that such events enable families an opportunity to come together and share the grief of losing a loved one. The vigils also afford comfort to those left behind that the victims have not been forgotten. Finally, they remind the public of the devastating impact such crimes have on the victims as well as their families and the ongoing efforts to assist those who have been caught in the crossfire.
A Delaware County resident is accused of lying about his murderous background in his application for asylum from Liberia.
Mohammed Jabbateh, 49, a citizen of Liberia residing in East Lansdowne, was indicted on Wednesday, April 13, and charged with immigration fraud and perjury, said U.S. Attorney Zane David Memeger in a press release.
According to the indictment, in December 1998, when making application for asylum and later for permanent legal residency, Jabbateh, also known as “Jungle Jabbah,” allegedly lied about his activities during Liberia’s first civil war. Prosecutors said he was a member of the United Liberation Movement for Democracy in Liberia (ULIMO) and later ULIMO-K, a rebel group that battled for control of Liberia, the release said.
The indictment said Jabbateh was a commander who ordered ULIMO troops to commit acts that included genocide; the murder, torture, enslavement and maiming of civilian noncombatants; the sexual enslavement and public raping of women; the conscription of child soldiers; the execution of prisoners of war; and the desecration and mutilation of corpses.
“This defendant allegedly committed unspeakable crimes in his home country, brutalizing numerous innocent victims,” said Memeger in the release. “He then sought to escape to the United States where he lied about his criminal background on federal immigration forms. This office will use whatever tools are available to bring to justice serious criminals who abuse our immigration process by concealing their background and history.”
In January 1999, during his successful asylum-seeking process, Jabbateh was interviewed by an immigration asylum officer to determine whether his application should be granted. To this end, it is alleged that Jabbateh falsely responded “no” to questions that included whether he had ever committed a crime or harmed anyone. Prosecutors said he repeated the lies during his application for legal permanent residency.
“The United States has always welcomed refugees and those fleeing oppression, but we will not be a safe haven for alleged human rights violators and war criminals,” Acting Special Agent-in-Charge Jack Staton of Homeland Security Investigations said in the release.
If convicted, Jabbateh faces a maximum possible sentence of 30 years in prison, the release said. To support anyone who may have been victimized by Jabbateh but has not yet reported it, Homeland Security Investigations has established a Victim Assistance Hotline. Impacted individuals are encouraged to call 215-717-4987 to speak with a victim assistance specialist, the release said.
Who's the real bad actor? That's a question that Chester County District Attorney Tom Hogan (second from right, top row) wants witnesses to get right.
In a recent series of grocery store holdups, detectives had their suspect: a six-foot-tall, 160-pound man with a shaved head who bore a striking resemblance to Chester County District Attorney Tom Hogan.
As Chester County District Attorney Tom Hogan (left) listens, Montgomery County District Attorney Kevin Steele explains how prosecutors are trying to stay ahead of technology.
In fact, Hogan’s image appeared in a photo lineup prominently displayed during a press conference on Tuesday, April 12, at the Chester County District Attorney’s Office. But Hogan was masquerading as a mugger to underscore the importance of statewide uniformity in eyewitness identification procedures.
Hogan, chairman of the Best Practices Committee for the Pennsylvania District Attorneys Association (PDAA), was joined by Montgomery County District Attorney Kevin Steele, Berks County District Attorney John T. Adams, and a half-dozen other law-enforcement officials to announce guidelines that would be incorporated into law enforcement training throughout the state. A simultaneous announcement occurred in Harrisburg by other PDAA representatives, Hogan said.
He explained that the announcement marked the first time in its history that the PDAA has made a statewide best practices recommendation. He likened the new research and technologies to the field of medicine, suggesting that if a doctor developed a cure for cancer, the public would want that information shared.
Witness identification was the first agenda item because “it’s a hot topic,” Hogan said, noting that many cases hinge on it.
Among Pennsylvania’s 67 counties are 1,117 law-enforcement agencies – “more police departments than any state in the U.S.,” Hogan said. “Prosecutors want to convict the guilty, protect the innocent, and stand up for the rights of victims,” he said. “It’s important that we get this protocol right across the state.”
Toward that end, he said PDAA received input from law-enforcement, social scientists, criminal-defense agencies and academics to formulate the best way to conduct a fair and reliable eyewitness ID procedure. The PDAA was formed in 2014 to serve as a collaborative network to identify best practices, research, and legal methods.
Among the recommendations: presenting photo lineups simultaneously rather than sequentially. New research shows that witnesses benefit from being able to compare and contrast, Hogan said.
In addition, an officer not involved in the case should administer the photo lineup, using neutral language to avoid bias. Someone connected to the prosecution could subconsciously affect the outcome. “If I’m there, I’m rooting for them to pick the right person,” Hogan said.
Finally, the protocols call for extensive record-keeping, such as documenting the witness’s demeanor and response time, and preserving the evidence, including all of the photographs used.
Hogan said that the guidelines represent recommendations and that their implementation would be determined by each district attorney. Hogan, Steele and Adams all said that they are already using some of them and that the initial reaction from the law-enforcement community has been positive.
Steele said the committee would now turn its focus to three other emerging issues: body cameras , officer-involved shootings, and the recording of interrogations. He said the group would also be seeking legislative fixes for the state’s Wiretap Act.
Right now, if a police officer wearing a body camera chases a suspect into a dwelling, he has an additional burden. “We don’t want an officer to worry about turning off a body camera” in that situation, Steele said, explaining that the video would be illegal in a private home.
As for Hogan the suspect, he explained that the use of his own mugshot was an attempt to add some levity. However, he acknowledged that he might have erred in allowing county detectives to select the other images. Among the potential “bad guys” were West Goshen Township Detective Darren Sedlak and actors Bruce Willis, Patrick Stewart, Dean Norris, Michael Chiklis and Jason Statham.
The Southern Chester County Chamber of Commerce will hold its Annual Inspirational Breakfast Wednesday, April 20, beginning at 7:30 a.m. at the Mendenhall Inn. The keynote speaker is Pat Ciarrocchi, an award-winning broadcaster who will share insights and lessons learned during her esteemed career.
The Herald Trumpeters from the Valley Forge Military Academy & College
The event includes a coffee reception at 7:30 am followed by a sit-down breakfast and program at 8:30 am. Special guests Valley Forge Military Academy & College, as well as the Heraldic Fanfare Trumpets & Academy Color Guard will begin the program.
Award-winning broadcaster Pat Ciarrocchi
Chester County native Pat Ciarrocchi traveled the globe covering major events of the day during her 33-year career as anchor at CBS3 in Philadelphia. She has earned virtually every major honor in broadcasting including being the first woman inducted into the Pennsylvania Association of Broadcasters Hall of Fame.
The Inspirational Breakfast welcomes business and community leaders from across the region. The fee is $45 for members and $55 for non-members. Tables are available for $450. To register, click visit the SCCCC event page.
The Southern Chester County Chamber of Commerce, the region’s leading pro-business member organization, is dedicated to the growth and development of its members and the business community by providing opportunities to connect businesses and support sustainable economic development. Founded in 1929 in Kennett Square, the chamber’s nearly 500 member businesses consist of influential business leaders and professionals, not-for-profits, institutions, legislative leaders, and more. The chamber hosts more than 70 events and programs each year in the Southern Chester County region. To join or learn more, visit www.scccc.com.
• Joel M. Stokes, 22, of Ft. Lauderdale, Fla., one of the suspects apprehended in Chadds Ford last week, has also been charged with reckless driving, stemming from an accident on Route 202 as Stokes was fleeing from police, a report said. According to police, Stokes sideswiped another vehicle while driving the wrong way on Route 202. He was also cited for sideswiping another vehicle on Brinton Lake Road as he was trying to elude police. Stokes and a 16-year-old, also from Ft. Lauderdale, were being pursued in connection with a series of thefts from vehicles parked at daycare centers. The two were eventually apprehended — one on Creek Road and the other on Station Way Road — following a foot chase after their vehicle crashed into a tree on Creek Road. Both were charged with fleeing and eluding, recklessly endangering and theft.
• Sometime between 4 p.m. on April 8 and 5:50 a.m. on April 11, someone stole $10,000 worth of tools, batteries and copper pipe from a construction site on Applied Bank Boulevard in Concord Township.
• State police from Troop K, Media barracks, are investigating a car theft in Concord Township. A report said the locked vehicle was stolen from 7100 Johnson Farm Lane sometime between 6:30 p.m. on April 6 and 5:25 a.m. on April 7. It was later found. The investigation was continuing.
• Someone stole a purse containing “several hundred dollars in cash” from a vehicle parked near PF Chang’s in Concord Township on April 7. A police report said the incident happened sometime between 11:30 a.m. and 6 p.m. Thieves gained entry by smashing a window, the report said.
• On Feb. 13, Muzekir B. Said, 30, of Mesquite, Texas, was charged with failing to stop at a red signal on Route 1 and Station Way Road in Chadds Ford Township, according to police. A report said Muzekir’s vehicle struck a car entering onto Route 1 from Station Way Road. The driver of the other vehicle was injured, but the police report said the injury was of unknown severity.
• Nicole Lee Bartlett, 30, of Downingtown, was arrested for DUI in Chadds Ford Township, according to a police report. That report said the accused was stopped for traffic violations on southbound Route 202 at 12:30 a.m. on April 6 for traffic violations.
• Codie James Rynearson, 23, of Escondido, Calif., was arrested for possession of a controlled substance in Concord Township, on April 8, according to a police report. Police said Rynearson was stopped for traffic violations on Route 202 at State Farm Drive at 7:45 p.m. n April 8.
• On April 9, Kyyl Flowers-Parker, 20, of Newark, was stopped for traffic violations and was found to be DUI, a police report said.
• A 74-year-old man from Pittsburgh was arrested for DUI on Route 1 at Evergreen Drive on April 10. Police said Richard Dean was stopped for traffic violations at 12:49 a.m.
• Two people were reported injured and one driver cited following a two-vehicle accident on Route 1 near Schoolhouse Lane in Concord Township on April 9. Police said James K. Romesburg, 41, of Glen Mills, was cited for an improper left turn after he made the turn into the path of an oncoming car. The 75-year-old driver and one of four passengers in the other vehicle were taken to Riddle Memorial Hospital for treatment.
• Police said Monica Loren Glisson, 23, of Williamstown, N.J, was arrested for DUI following a traffic stop on Route 322 at Merion Drive on March 18.
