Passenger Dies Days After Fiery Crash Into Reading Building: Coroner
A woman has died days after a violent crash sent a vehicle into a building in Pennsylvania, officials announced on Wednesday, April 29.
Elisa L. Plancarte, 38, of Maidencreek Township, was pronounced dead at Reading Hospital at 9:46 a.m., according to Berks County Coroner Matthew J. Stitzel.
The crash happened on Hampden Boulevard between Bern Street and College Avenue in Reading around 2:10 a.m. on Sunday, April 26, when a vehicle slammed into a building, the coroner said.
Plancarte was a passenger in the vehicle and became trapped in the wreckage, requiring extrication by the Reading F…
Reading Triple Homicide: Mom Shot, Baby Drowned, Dad Killed Ends With Guilty Plea
A Pennsylvania man who was charged in the deaths of a husband, mother, and her 1-year-old son has now admitted to killing the entire family and will spend the rest of his life in prison.
Jose Rodriguez, 61, of Reading, Pennsylvania, entered a negotiated guilty plea for the murders of Geraldina Peguero-Mancebo, 31, her husband Junior Cabrera-Colon, 31, and their son, Jeyden Junior Peguero, on Tuesday, April 14, 2026. He was sentenced to three consecutive life terms without the possibility of parole.
Geraldina Peguero-Mancebo was found shot dead in a grassy area off East Huller Lane on Friday…
Reading Man, NJ Woman Killed In NY 17 Tractor-Trailer Crash: State Police
A crash between a tractor-trailer and a passenger car killed two people on State Route 17 in Nichols, New York, state police announced on Tuesday, Sept. 9.
Frank J. Dempaire, 45, of Reading, Pennsylvania, and Elize Carlos, 45, of Newark, New Jersey, were identified as the victims, according to New York State Police.
The crash happened shortly after 4:30 a.m. on Monday, Sept. 8, when both vehicles were traveling east on State Route 17 and the tractor trailer rear-ended the passenger car, troopers said. Dempaire and Carlos, who were inside the car, died at the scene.
The tractor trailer driv…
Child, Among 5 Hospitalized After DUI Jeep Driver Crashes Into Ram, VW In Lancaster: PSP
A DUI crash on Twin County Road in Caernarvon Township left a child and four others hospitalized, Pennsylvania State Police announced on Monday, Sept. 8.
The crash happened in front of 330 Twin County Road at 10:13 p.m. on Saturday, Sept. 6, according to PSP Lancaster.
Investigators said Dustin C. Stewart, 47, of Reading, was driving a 2014 Jeep Cherokee northbound and failed to stay in his lane while negotiating a curve. His Jeep struck the rear of a 2025 Ram 1500 driven by Charles E. Drevo, 58, of Bel Air, and then hit a 2021 Volkswagen Jetta driven by Robert M. McNeal, 45, of Honey Brook…
Handcuffed Teen Assaulted By Reading Officer, Cop Charged With Assault: Berks DA
A Reading police officer is accused of assaulting a handcuffed 16-year-old during a hospital transport, the Berks County District Attorney’s Office announced on Thursday, Aug. 28.
Aaron J. Andre, 49, of Reading, was charged with simple assault and official oppression following an investigation by Berks County Detectives.
The incident happened on Wednesday, June 25, when Andre was assigned to operate the department’s prisoner transport van. Around 8:54 p.m., he was dispatched to the 500 block of McClellan Street for a domestic assault incident involving a combative 16-year-old boy, according…
Guns, MDMA, Cocaine Found In Car Stopped On I-684 In Southeast: Duo Arrested, Police Say
A Bronx woman and a Pennsylvania man are behind bars after a traffic stop on Interstate 684 in the Hudson Valley, NY turned into a major drug and gun bust, authorities announced.
The arrests happened on Friday, Aug. 22, when State Police said a BOLO (Be on the Lookout) was issued for a vehicle connected to a fraud investigation out of Port Jervis in Orange County, New York State Police said on Monday, Aug. 25.
Not long after, troopers spotted the car allegedly violating state vehicle and traffic laws while traveling on I-684 in the Putnam County town of Southeast. With help from the Putnam …
Pink Baggies, $500K In Fentanyl, 2 Kilos Seized From Berks Dealer’s Kitchen: DA
A Berks County man was caught with two kilos of fentanyl worth $500,000 in a massive early morning bust, authorities announced on Thursday, Aug. 21, 2025.
Junior Rondon-Ceballo, 31, was arrested after a joint drug investigation between the Berks County Drug Task Force and Reading police led to a search of his Cumru Township home, his body, and vehicle, officials said.
The warrant was executed at 6 a.m. on the 200 block of Pennwyn Place, where detectives seized:
Two kilograms of fentanyl
Digital scales
Drug paraphernalia
Packaging materials
According to authorities, the seized fentanyl cou…
$3M, $2M & $100K Lottery Tickets Among 5 Huge Wins In PA — Is One Yours?
Five Pennsylvania Lottery players are holding tickets worth $3 million, $2 million, and $100,000 after a streak of major wins across Blair, Berks, York, Wyoming, and Delaware counties, officials announced.
Body:
A Mega Bucks Scratch-Off worth $3 million was sold at Sandy’s California Ave, 5915 California Avenue, Altoona, according to the Pennsylvania Lottery. The $30 game offers top prizes of $3 million. The retailer earns a $10,000 bonus.
In Berks County, a Cash 5 with Quick Cash ticket worth $2,019,939.50 was sold at GIANT Food Stores, 4655 Perkiomen Avenue, Reading, for the Monday, Aug.…
‘Don’t Have Me Arrested’: Reading Man Accused Of Sexually Abusing Girl For Nearly A Decade
A Pennsylvania man has been arrested for sexually abusing a girl over several years, the Berks County District Attorney’s Office announced on Wednesday, Aug. 6.
Miguel Reyes, 55, of the 400 block of South 7th Street, Reading, was charged with Rape of a Child, Rape, Indecent Assault, Corruption of Minors, and Endangering the Welfare of Children, according to the DA’s Office.
The investigation began in April 2025 after a CHILDLINE referral from the Pennsylvania Department of Human Services alleged Reyes had repeatedly abused a juvenile female. Detectives conducted a forensic interview at the …
Drunk, High, And Speeding: Wyomissing Teen Charged In Crash That Killed Friend: Affidavit
An 18-year-old Pennsylvania driver was drunk, high, and doing nearly 76 mph when he crashed into a tractor-trailer— killing his 17-year-old friend and seriously injuring another teen, according to charges announced by Berks County prosecutors on Thursday, July 24, 2025.
Isaac Pierre Orsag, of Wyomissing, has been charged with homicide by vehicle while DUI, aggravated assault by vehicle while DUI, recklessly endangering another person, and related offenses, District Attorney John T. Adams said in a release.
Court documents reveal Orsag had alcohol, THC, fentanyl, and benzodiazepines in his s…
220 Bags Of Fentanyl, Loaded Gun Seized In Reading Drug Bust: DA
A Reading man was arrested after a raid turned up hundreds of bags of fentanyl and a loaded gun, the Berks County District Attorney’s Office announced on Thursday, July 24.
Christian Vazquez-Perez, 30, was taken into custody when detectives served a search warrant at his home on the 500 block of Mulberry Street around 9:20 a.m., the DA’s Drug Task Force said.
Inside, authorities seized:
220 packets of fentanyl,
A fully loaded Palmetto State Armory 9mm semi-automatic pistol,
An Ohaus digital scale,
Packaging materials,
A small bag containing suspected cocaine,
$334 in suspected drug money,…
Nate Bargatze Brings Arena-Sized Laughs To Philly And Reading This August
Nate Bargatze’s arena-sized comedy is hitting Philadelphia this summer, and you don’t want to miss it.
His Big Dumb Eyes World Tour lands at the Wells Fargo Center on Thursday, Aug. 7 and Friday, Aug. 8, 2025, bringing new material, pinpoint timing, and the kind of clean, clever comedy that fills stadiums. Tickets, available now at StubHub, Ticketmaster, and Vivid Seats, are moving fast.
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Known for his deadpan delivery and family-friendly stories, Bargatze broke through…
Missing Reading Teen Found Alive Year Later In NC, Man Facing Dozen+ Sex Charges: Cops
A 15-year-old girl reported missing from Pennsylvania nearly a year ago was found in a North Carolina home, and the man she was with is facing more than a dozen sex charges.
A 15-year-old girl who vanished nearly a year ago from Pennsylvania was found in North Carolina, about 470 miles away, and the man she was living with is now facing more than 15 felony charges, police said. The girl was reportedly reported missing out of Reading, PA in June 2024, NBC News says citing court documents.
The teen was discovered on Monday, June 16, around 4:20 p.m., when detectives with the High Point Police…
PA Dad Murders Son Over Cat; Watches Religious Videos For 12 Hours Before Calling 911: DA
A Pennsylvania father has been convicted of murder after he shot and killed his son during a bizarre argument over a cat and a car — then sat in the home for nearly 12 hours watching religious videos before calling 911, court documents detail.
John Francis Gustites, 67, of Sheppton, was found guilty on Wednesday, June 11 of Third-Degree Murder, Aggravated Assault, Recklessly Endangering Another Person, and Simple Assault in the death of his 42-year-old son, John Andrew Gustites, according to Schuylkill County District Attorney Michael O’Pake and court records.
🔫 The Shooting
The dead…
Taylor Swift's Neighbor, Distinguished PA Educator-Turned-Art Dealer Pleads Guilty In Art Scam
A former Hill School admissions director and neighbor of pop icon Taylor Swift pleaded guilty to selling fake artwork he falsely claimed was created by some of the world’s most legendary artists, federal authorities announced on Tuesday, June 3.
Carter P. Reese, 77, of Reading, admitted in federal court on Thursday, May 29, to wire fraud and mail fraud for a two-year scheme that duped customers into buying forged works he said came from Pablo Picasso, Andy Warhol, Jean-Michel Basquiat, and others, according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania.
Once respect…
Jehovah's Witness Sexually Abused Family Member Under 7 Years Old: PA AG (Update)
A former Jehovah’s Witness from Butler County has been sentenced to up to 34 years in prison for sexually abusing a child family member over five years, beginning when the victim was just 7, Pennsylvania Attorney General Dave Sunday announced on Tuesday, June 3.
Shaun Sheffer, 47, of Harmony, was convicted by a Butler County jury in January of three counts of rape, three counts of indecent assault, and one count of corruption of minors, according to the AG’s Office.
The assaults happened between 1995 and 2000, when Sheffer was a member of a local Jehovah’s Witnesses congregation. The a…
Ping Pong-Sized Hail, 70 MPH Winds Threaten North Jersey, Lehigh Valley
A Severe Thunderstorm Watch is in effect until 8 p.m. Tuesday, May 6, for parts of New Jersey and Pennsylvania, the National Weather Service Storm Prediction Center said.
Residents in Philadelphia, Trenton, Allentown, Reading, and across North and Central Jersey are impacted, the NWS said.
“Isolated thunderstorms have developed over portions of the region,” the National Weather Service said in a Tuesday afternoon update. “The primary threat will be for hail and damaging winds across eastern PA and northern/central NJ.”
Threats include:
Scattered hail up to ping-pong ball size
Wind gusts …
