ifredregill@altoonamirror.com
Blair County law enforcement agencies reported increased drug activity during the coronavirus pandemic, but in some cases, social distancing restrictions hampered their efforts.
“There were two issues that arose from the pandemic,” said Blair County District Attorney Pete Weeks. “We’ve seen more substance abuse, because of the stay-at-home orders and the circumstances brought on by decisions made during the (COVID-19) pandemic.”
The second issue law enforcement encountered was fewer impediments to drug traffickers moving through the community as lockdowns hindered house-to-house investigations, Weeks said.
Several metrics are used to track drug activity within communities, but for clarity and ease of access, the Altoona Mirror requested data from local law enforcement, measuring the number of possession with intent to deliver charges processed from 2018-20.
ifredregill@altoonamirror.com
Police charged an Altoona man with child endangerment Tuesday after learning the details of a physical altercation between him and his girlfriend, court documents stated.
Emmanuel C. Wright, 32, was arraigned Tuesday by Magisterial District Judge Daniel DeAntonio on charges relating to child endangerment and harassment, according to court documents.
Wright called police Tuesday morning to report his girlfriend was leaving their residence with their 1-year-old child despite the child not being properly dressed for the winter conditions.
When Altoona police officers responded, the woman said she was trying to leave the residence because of an argument between Wright and her, which became physical before the police arrived, a criminal complaint stated.
Bolin
An Altoona woman was arraigned Monday on drug and theft charges stemming from two incidents in 2019 and 2020, Blair County court documents stated.
After Lindsey R. Bolin, 35, was arraigned by Magisterial District Judge Mathew Dunio, Bolin was unable to post the combined total of her cash bails, $65,000, and was jailed at Blair County Prison, according to court documents.
In July 2019, Bolin stayed at the home of a 78-year-old man for a few nights, and before leaving, she allegedly stole a diamond ring and cash from the victim’s pants, used his bank card to put money on a jail account and purchase a Sheetz gift card, police reported.
A truck driver was treated for minor injuries Saturday after his semi-truck crashed near Allegheny Township, closing I-99 for several hours, state police report
ifredregill@altoonamirror.com
Two Altoona men were charged with burglary Thursday after police responded to a call on Fourth Avenue and found one of the men bleeding from a head wound, court documents stated.
Albert W. Marini, 59, and Wayne Williams, 51, were arraigned Thursday by Magisterial District Judge Paula Aigner on multiple charges, including burglary, criminal conspiracy to engage in burglary and criminal trespassing, according to court documents.
The Altoona Police Department reported that officers responded to a burglary in progress about midnight Wednesday, and discovered Williams and Marini standing outside the residence in question.
Blood was streaming down the side of Marini’s face, and he told police a person inside the residence struck him in the head with a metal pipe, a criminal complaint stated.