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Community Corner

Limerick police blotter

A look at the last week's police activity in Limerick Township

The Limerick Township Police Department logged 180 incidents between Monday, May 16 and Monday, May 23.

Among the calls to which the police responded were the following incidents of note.

Surreptitious shoe swap stopped

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Officer Brian Tyler was dispatched to the Zumiez store at the Philadelphia Premium Outlets at 4:46pm on Monday, May 16 on a report that a retail theft suspect was in custody at the store.

An employee of the store told Ofc. Tyler that he observed the suspect enter the store wearing shoes that were "old and dirty," then proceed to the rear of the store. Several minutes passed as the employee was helping other customers. He then saw the suspect exit the store wearing a new pair of "Circa 8 Track" shoes, valued at $34.97. The suspect made no attempt to pay for the shoes.

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Store employees stopped the suspect outside the store and asked him to return to the premises. He complied.

Ofc. Tyler asked the suspect, "What's going on today?"

"I tried to steal a pair of shoes," replied the suspect, identified as Jacob Anthony Shaner, 19, of Heffner Road in Limerick.

Shaner was handcuffed, processed at the Pottstown Police Department, cited for retail theft, and released to the custody of his brother.

Pot-smoking trio cited in park

Officer Patrick Roche was on routine patrol at Limerick Community Park at 9:51pm on May 16 when he found a black Honda Civic in the parking lot. The car was locked and unoccupied, but the hood was warm to the touch, so Ofc. Roche remained on the scene.

Three male subjects approached Ofc. Roche, one of whom identified himself as the owner and driver of the Civic. As Ofc. Roche spoke with the men, Ofc. Kevin McGuigan arrived at the scene and told Ofc. Roche that a bag that appeared to contain marijuana was on the interior driver's side door of the car. 

Ofc. Roche obtained the owner's permission to search the vehicle. In addition to the bag identified by Ofc. McGuigan, Ofc. Roche retrieved "Zig-Zag" rolling papers and an empty prescription bottle of Adderall that appeared to contain additional marijuana.

Ofc. Roche informed the men that they were not permitted on park property after dark and asked them what they had been doing. The vehicle's owner told Ofc. Roche they had been smoking a "joint."

All three subjects were cited for disorderly conduct related to the possession of marijuana.

They were identified as:

David James Hayes, 20, of the 1900 block of N. Gratz Street, Philadelphia

Ryan C. Rosenberger, 20, of the 1900 block of Ridge Road, Telford

Matthew K. Kochersperger, 21, of Main Street in Schwenksville

Ofc. Roche tested Hayes for field sobriety and judged him able to drive his vehicle. The men were released and issued citations through the mail.

More pot, this time at Wawa

At 11:14pm on May 20, Ofc. Kevin McGuigan approached the occupants of a silver Volkswagen Jetta in the parking lot of the Wawa store at 934 S. Township Line Road. Ofc. McGuigan saw that the passenger had a clear plastic bag between his legs which contained "a green leafy substance which gave the appearance of marijuana."

Ofc. McGuigan asked the passenger to exit the vehicle, which he did, then asked him if he had other contraband on his person. The man gave Ofc. McGuigan "a tin foil marijuana pipe that had already been used."

Ofc. McGuigan then asked the driver to exit the vehicle. Asked if he was in possession of any contraband, he told Ofc. McGuigan that he had a marijuana pipe in a cigarette pack in the dashboard console. McGuigan obtained the driver's permission to search the vehicle. He retrieved the aforementioned pipe and "did not locate any other contraband in the vehicle."

The driver was identified as Patrick T. Burke, 25, of the 1800 block of Wayne Drive, Norristown. The passenger was identified as Richard Elli Bailey, III, 24, of the 300 block of Tavistock Drive, Royersford.

Both men were cited for disorderly conduct for the possession of a small amount of marijuana and for possession of drug paraphernalia. They were released at the scene.

No pot, but a pipe

Ofc. Kevin McGuigan was on patrol at Trinley River Park at 10:51pm on Monday, May 16 when he saw a blue Ford Focus parked in the park.

Ofc. McGuigan questioned the three occupants about their after-hours presence in the park. The driver, identified as Brandon Petiet, 18, of the 1200 block of Main Street in Linfield, told Ofc. McGuigan that he'd stopped in the park to eat food.

Ofc. McGuigan noticed "a small amount of green leafy substance" on Petiet's shorts. Petiet said these were crumbs from his food. McGuigan then asked all three occupants to exit the vehicle. The other two occupants were juveniles whose names were withheld by police.

Ofc. McGuigan recorded that none of the three had any contraband on their persons. Petiet informed Ofc. McGuigan that there was a marijuana pipe in the car's glove box. Petiet gave McGuigan permission to search the vehicle, but McGuigan located no other contraband.

Petiet was released and cited for disorderly conduct for possession of drug paraphernalia through the mail.

The juveniles' parents were contacted. One juvenile's mother opted to let Petiet drive her child home. The other juvenile's father met Ofc. McGuigan at a nearby Wawa store and took custody of his child there.

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