2 Of 3 Men Charged With Attempted Reading Murder Still At Large

Map of Pennsylvania highlighting Berks County (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Two of the three men charged earlier this month with attempted murder and conspiracy in the 2011 ambush shooting of a man in his car in northeast Reading remain at large, authorities said Friday.

Police said they are seeking information on the whereabouts of Luis Jimenez Jr., 31, of the 1200 block of Pike Street and Jonathan Gonzalez, 27, of the 600 block of Bingaman
Street.

Criminal Investigator Eric B. Driesbach on Nov. 8 obtained arrest warrants for them and a third man, Tai-Mare L. Mercado, 24, in the June 22, 2011, shooting at 11th and Spring streets. Investigators said eyewitness accounts and DNA evidence recovered from sweatshirts that the suspects left behind while running from the scene linked the men to the shooting.

Police arrested Mercado on Nov. 12 in his residence of the 500 block of Lancaster Avenue.

Read more:  http://readingeagle.com/article.aspx?id=520556

Key Player In Synthetic-Pot Ring May Be On The Run

A 1947 topographic map of the Reading, Pennsylvania area. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

A week after raiding a corner grocery store in southeast Reading, city police are still looking for its owner, whom they said is a central figure in a ring that manufactured and distributed synthetic marijuana.

Eric Cintron, 22, of the 8000 block of Allentown Pike, Maidencreek Township, was charged Oct. 24 with possessing K2, or synthetic marijuana, and conspiring to manufacture and distribute the drug, risking a catastrophe and other counts.

Investigators said Cintron is considered the owner of Cotton Street Mini Market at 14th and Cotton streets, which police raided Oct. 25 along with Cintron’s residence and two other locations.

They said they believe Cintron has fled the area.

Read more: http://readingeagle.com/article.aspx?id=517936

Former Conrad Weiser Coach Jailed After Violating Court Order

Map of Berks County, Pennsylvania, United States with township and municipal boundaries (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

A former Conrad Weiser High School coach accused of having a sexual relationship with a 16-year-old girl was handcuffed and taken to Berks County Prison today after allegedly violating an order for the second time in less than a month that he not contact the girl.

Benjamin J. Stopper, 31, of the 200 block of Longview Drive, South Heidelberg Township, is charged with having sexual contact with a child and corrupting a minor.

Stopper’s original bail set at $20,000 on Aug. 16, but Judge Thomas G. Parisi raised his bail to $100,000 on Sept. 11 after prosecutors alleged Stopper had contact with the girl against Parisi’s orders. Stopper’s family posted 10 percent of the bail, and Stopper was released.

Read more: http://readingeagle.com/article.aspx?id=515961

Police Arrest Reading Man Charged With Attempted Homicide

Map of Berks County, Pennsylvania, United States with township and municipal boundaries (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

A Reading man charged with attempted homicide in the May shooting of another man has been arrested.

Salvador Rivera, 43, of the 1600 block of Moss Street was committed to Berks County Prison in lieu of $200,000 bail after arraignment early Saturday before Senior District Judge Paul J. Hadzick in Reading Central Court.

He also was charged with aggravated assault, reckless endangerment and possessing an instrument of crime.

Reading police obtained a warrant for Rivera on May 28, the day of the shooting, but he remained at large until Friday. Arrest details were unavailable.

Read more: http://readingeagle.com/article.aspx?id=513848

Two Arrested In Fatal Reading Shooting

A 1947 topographic map of the Reading, Pennsylvania area. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Reading police captured a pair of suspects more than 12 hours apart in the fatal shooting last week of a man investigators said they planned to rob.

Leonardo J. Mojica-Carrion, 20, of the 1100 block of North Ninth Street was apprehended late Tuesday morning at Ninth and Robeson streets.

On Monday evening, detectives arrested Estiben Manso, 16, also of the 1100 block of North Ninth Street, following a chase through parts of the city.

Detectives said he ran from them when they spotted him in the 200 block of North Ninth Street. He was captured in the 800 block of Green Street.

Read more: http://readingeagle.com/article.aspx?id=514019

Witness Faces Murder Suspect In Berks County Courtroom

Map of Pennsylvania highlighting Berks County (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

A witness to the shooting of two men, one fatally, in Reading this summer faced the defendant during a hearing Wednesday, two months after chasing him into an alley and fighting with him until police arrived.

Witness Jermaine Miles said he was talking with two friends near his car on Elm Street at North Eighth Street about 2:10 a.m. on July 7 when he heard a barrage of gunfire.  He said he saw the muzzle of a pistol flashing, then saw the gunman, Vincent L. Minto, run into an alley between Elm and Buttonwood streets.

Miles said he got into his car and drove the wrong way up Eighth Street to Buttonwood Street to head off Minto in the opposite end of the alley.  Miles said he fired a shot into the air from his car, then got out, fired another warning shot and yelled, “Police, stop.”

Startled, Minto fell in the alley, losing grip of the gun, Miles said.  He said he pounced on Minto, who during the struggle said, “A long time ago your friends should be died (sic).”

Read more: http://readingeagle.com/article.aspx?id=506170

Two Charged In Slaying Of Birdsboro Man

A 1947 topographic map of the Reading, Pennsylvania area. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Reading police obtained arrest warrants for two men in the shooting death of a Birdsboro man whose body was found in an alley last month.

Police identified Johnnie L. Nelson, 26, of the 800 block of North Fifth Street, and Eric Harding, 23, of the first block of Gouglersville Road, Cumru Township, as suspects in the death of Darryl A. Jones, 26.

Both are already in Berks County Prison for parole violations.

Read more: http://readingeagle.com/article.aspx?id=505236

Wiretap Yields Major Berks County Drug Bust

Map of Pennsylvania highlighting Berks County (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

For four months, members of Berks County District Attorney John T. Adams’ drug task force eavesdropped on the cellphone conversations of a Pennside resident and others suspected of selling large quantities of cocaine, heroin and marijuana in the county.

The state Superior Court approved Adams’ application for a nonconsensual wiretap in February to listen to the conversations of Robert Sanfiel, 47.

By that time, Adams said Thursday, the detectives had been investigating Sanfiel for six months, but early on didn’t know the size of the operation.

The investigation culminated early Thursday when investigators began a roundup of 25 people accused of being involved in the organization.

Read more:  http://readingeagle.com/article.aspx?id=477562

Noise Complaint Leads To Arrest Of Reading Man On Drug Charges

Map of Berks County, Pennsylvania, United States with township and municipal boundaries (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Editor’s note:  Great job Reading P.D.  Book ’em, Danno!

A complaint about loud music in the 600 block of North 11th Street led to the arrest of a 20-year-old man on drug-trafficking charges, police said Tuesday.

Jose Melendez-Negron was charged with possessing and intending to deliver cocaine, possessing and intending to use drug paraphernalia, possessing a small amount of marijuana and related charges.

Melendez-Negron was committed to Berks County Prison in lieu of $75,000 bail following arraignment before Senior District Judge Gloria W. Stitzel in Reading Central Court.

Read more:  http://readingeagle.com/article.aspx?id=470343

2 Caught Stealing Game Commission Wire In Berks, Police Say

Map of Berks County, Pennsylvania, United States with township and municipal boundaries (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Two men had carted four large rolls of wire to a vehicle at the Port Clinton Fire Tower in eastern Berks County on Thursday when state police arrived and arrested them, police said.

Edward M. Matalavage, 36, of New Ringgold and Rayan M. Navitsky, 34, of Tamaqua were charged with burglary for allegedly breaking into a building and stealing the government-owned wire.

Read more: http://www.mcall.com/news/breaking/mc-p-berks-fire-tower-wire-burglary-20121013,0,480612.story