By Karen Blackledge
The Daily Item
July 01, 2009 08:06 am
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DANVILLE — Two borough women will face trial in Montour County on charges related to vandalizing cemeteries and road signs that caused almost $2,000 in damage last spring.
Both Alicia Lee Auman, 20, of 711 E. Front St., and Laurie Lynne Jones, 19, of an apartment at 21 L. Mulberry St., remain free on bail after Tuesday’s 2½-hour preliminary hearing in which at least eight people testified. The women will be scheduled to appear in county court Aug. 18 and face trial in October for their alleged roles in a spree that left more than 75 county headstones toppled or damaged, and five road signs.
“I look forward to the trial,” Montour County District Attorney Robert Buehner Jr. “People of the county feel strongly about vandalism of cemeteries and we will have many more witnesses to explain the depth of the vandalism and what it has done to their lives.”
Two 17-year-old Danville boys and a 17-year-old Shamokin girl have been charged in juvenile court for the vandalism spree in mid-April in Mahoning and Valley townships. Jones is an ex-girlfriend of one of the boys, according to testimony.
During Jones’ hearing, Jim Kishbaugh testified about 18 tombstones at the Odd Fellows Cemetery in Mahoning Township were pushed over, and repairs to reset them cost $575.
John Novak, of St. Joseph Church, said 27 stones in St. Joseph and St. Hubert cemeteries were toppled and tall crosses were chipped and broken. The cost to upright them was $925.
Michael Bialecki testified a crucifix was broken into three pieces at the Sisters of Christian Charities Cemetery. He had no estimate of what it will cost to repair the monument.
Lloyd Craig Jr., group leader for the Mahoning Township street department, said two road signs were spray painted along Bald Top Road and Toby Run Road. The cost to replace them was $128.
Mahoning Township Cpl. Clay Fahringer investigated a large stone at the Karns property along River Road that was sprayed with blue paint. The estimate to sandblast it is $250, he said.
Fahringer said Jones came into his department voluntarily and told police she was among the group of five involved in the vandalism. Her attorney, Ken Hill, argued there was no evidence a crime was committed and no connecting Jones to the crimes.
Buehner said the preliminary hearing wasn’t a trial, and that the hearing was being held to establish a prima facie case.
Fahringer further testified he received information from state police at Milton a tip was called in by a Carl Squire, who identified two of the juveniles involved. Hill objected that this was hearsay, adding “no matter how you try to pretty it up, it’s still hearsay.”
Buehner replied they were showing a logical investigative follow-through with Montour County District Judge Marvin Shrawder overruling Hill’s objection since one juvenile admitted to the spray painting and the other juvenile to cemetery vandalism.
According to the written statement Jones gave to Fahringer, the two boys asked Jones to provide them with a ride to the Mahoning Township cemeteries. She drove around and then they called her to pick them up, according to the statement.
After Hill asked that charges against Jones be dropped, Buehner said it was accomplice liability.
“It’s no different than a bank robber with a getaway car,” Buehner said.
Shrawder ruled the charges against Jones would stand, including aiding in the crimes and corruption of minors.
During Auman’s hearing, Milton state police trooper Phil Davis testified Auman gave him a written statement after he interviewed her April 23. She described buying blue spray paint near Buckhorn and admitted to being involved with others in the sign and rock vandalism, he testified. She was charged with corruption of minors, criminal mischief and criminal conspiracy related to the Mahoning Township incidents.
Valley Township Supervisor Michael Kull testified a sign at Kline Road and Route 642, a hidden driveway sign and a sign about leaving the township were spray painted. The cost to replace them is $50 each not including labor, he said.
Dawn Roland, church administrator for the Mooresburg United Methodist Church, said nine tombstones were sprayed bright blue with graffiti and 22 other headstones were knocked over. A monument company volunteered to upright them and clean them. All but one stone, which is old and porous, could be cleaned, she said.
Buehner withdrew a charge of vandalizing a Hilltop Inn sign because a witness had left.
Fahringer testified his interviews of Jones and the three juveniles showed the suspects were linked to the crimes but not every defendant was involved in every incident.
Davis testified Auman’s statement showed she drove two juveniles to the Mooresburg cemetery because the juveniles said “they wanted to have fun.” Auman also wrote they were part of a gang they called the Crips, Davis said.
Shrawder agreed with Auman’s attorney, Marianne Fogelsanger, to a downgrading of a criminal mischief charge to reflect a lesser amount of damage than in the criminal complaint. State police charged her with criminal conspiracy institutional vandalism, institutional vandalism, criminal mischief and desecration of venerated objects.
-- E-mail comments to kblackledge@dailyitem.com.
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