Crime Alert: Northern Berks police seek suspect in hit-and-run crash that injured officer
Tipsters with crime information can call 877-373-9913 anytime or contact Crime Alert at its website at www.alertberks.org or via the AlertBerks smartphone app. No one will ask the name of the caller, who will be assigned a code number.
Unsolved cases are featured regularly in the Sunday Reading Eagle.
Offense: Hit-and-run
Date: March 6 about 8:45 p.m.
Location: Route 222 south near Dries Road in Ontelaunee Township.
Suspect: Shannon Howell, 43, last known address in Port Jervis, N.Y.
A photo of Shannon Howell from a wanted poster released by Northern Berks Regional Police.
Police synopsis:
Northern Berks Regional police are asking for the public's assistance in locating Howell, a 43-year-old woman, who they say was involved in a hit-and-run crash with a police vehicle on Route 222 south just past the Dries Road exit in Ontelaunee Township. The Northern Berks officer was injured in the crash.
Anyone with information on her whereabouts is asked to call Northern Berks Regional police at 610-929-2999.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
USA Today
5 days ago
- USA Today
Exclusive: Former NFLPA leader DeMaurice Smith talks about league's upcoming CBA tussle
This might be perfect timing for DeMaurice Smith to promote a book reflecting on his personal journey and tenure as executive director of the NFL Players Association (NFLPA). Lloyd Howell, the man elected in 2023 to replace Smith, resigned last month in shame. JC Tretter, the former center and union president who gained powerful influence in recent years, stepped down, too, from his role as chief strategy officer. And with so many questions linked to a lack of transparency, particularly involving the election process and information from arbitration rulings not shared with the membership, the players union is mired in a big mess as David White begins as interim executive director. Smith's book, "Turf Wars: The Fight for the Soul of America's Game" (Random House, 368 pages, $32), was released on Aug. 5 as quite the coincidence. Leadership is a key theme. 'In no small way, we saw that play out over the last two months, in an unfortunate way,' Smith told USA TODAY Sports. 'My hope is that the players learn from it and spend time with what I'd call 'ruthless introspection' of how did they get here? And with the hope they turn it around. But it has to start and end with the players. It has much less to do with who their leader is.' That last point is debatable, given turmoil stemming from the damning revelations exposed by Pablo Torre on his podcast, "Pablo Torre Finds Out." Torre published a 61-page ruling from independent arbitrator Christopher Downey from a 2022 lawsuit filed by the NFLPA alleging collusion by team owners that was kept secret from the union. He revealed that another ruling determined Tretter encouraged players to fake injuries while engaged in contract talks. And he revealed that Howell was a part-time consultant for The Carlyle Group, a private equity firm approved by the NFL to invest in NFL teams, an apparent conflict of interest. Then ESPN reported that Howell's expense reports for visits to strip clubs ignited further scrutiny into his actions as union chief. Smith, citing a non-disparagement clause in his separation from the union, wouldn't specifically address the cases that blew up for the NFLPA, but he shared perspective on the role that White (the runner-up when Howell was elected) steps into on an interim basis while the search begins for a permanent executive director. White, formerly executive director and chief negotiator of the Screen Actors Guild (SAG-AFTRA), was elected by a vote of player representatives from all 32 teams on Aug. 3. Key issues for White? 'First of all, 2030 is not as far off as you'd want to think,' Smith said, alluding to the expiration of the 11-year collective bargaining agreement between the NFL and NFLPA. 'The changing media landscape is interesting. But I think the most pressing issue is how do you come in and take a group of players who haven't been in a fight and teach them about what a labor union is supposed to do.' When Smith replaced the late Gene Upshaw and began his 14-year tenure in 2009, surely there was no acclimation period. The fight was already on as NFL owners, on the short end of the last CBA that Upshaw negotiated, had already declared that it would opt out of the labor pact and lock out the players in 2011. 'It made teaching and the role of getting players ready for a war a little bit easier, because one was on the horizon,' Smith said. Ultimately, Smith led the NFLPA into two long labor pacts, the last one struck in 2020 during the pandemic, which was passed by players by a razor-thin margin, with the key pushback involving the 17th game the union agreed to. Now, the league is going full-steam ahead on desires to eventually expand the schedule to 18 games, which would need to be negotiated as part of the CBA – and perhaps before the current labor pact expires. That the NFLPA's leadership is in flux undoubtedly looms as an advantage for the NFL in ramping up for the next CBA. The current labor pact allows players to receive 48% of NFL revenues, which fuels the record $279.2 million salary cap for 2025. 'The biggest job for a labor leader is teaching, and how important it is to focus on the right issues,' Smith said. 'Understand you are in labor-management paradigm. That's always a battle.' Reflecting on his tenure – which included the COVID-19 crisis, the Colin Kaepernick-ignited player protests and the evolving concussion protocols – Smith said that one of his regrets is that he got away from the hard-core teaching that he stressed from 2009 to 2017. 'Now is that opportunity for players to go back to their roots,' said Smith, mindful of the turnover in membership that comes when the average player career span is roughly three years. He cites key figures from the timeline over several decades on the NFL front and beyond. 'Even the players who are not going to be there for 2030, if they don't know who Bill Radovich is, if they don't know who Freeman McNeil is, if they don't know who Reggie White was, if they don't understand the significance of Curt Flood or Oscar Robertson, man, you won't get it right. 'Whether the issues are Commissioner discipline, an 18th game or practice time, if players don't understand the history and necessity of fighting, you won't get it right.' Shortly after the resignations of Howell and Tretter, I reached out and asked Smith if he would consider returning to his former role on an interim basis to help the NFLPA navigate through its adversity. He scoffed. 'Absolutely not,' he said. 'This is a challenge the players need to resolve for themselves.' In his book, Smith recalls a frosty exchange with Howell during the transition. Smith said that he wrote a letter for his successor and planned to leave it in his old desk – in the tradition of U.S. presidents – but had second thoughts after his single interaction with Howell. He folded up the letter and stuffed it in his pocket. 'I wrote that letter in the hope that it would help frame what the job is, if someone were truly curious about getting it right,' Smith said last weekend. He wanted to be a resource. Especially having never met Upshaw, who died on Aug. 20, 2008, three days after being diagnosed with pancreatic cancer. 'There wasn't a day on the job where I didn't wake up and wish that I could talk to Gene,' Smith said. 'I kid you not. There wasn't a frickin' day.' He pledged that he's available for White. It's unclear how much White might tap that resource. Smith would certainly share thoughts about how players need to absorb how they are impacted by changing NFL business dynamics. The deal announced last week, with the NFL acquiring 10% equity in ESPN, resonated. 'It reminds you of the scale of this business,' Smith said. 'They're going to do what, $25 billion in revenue next year? This is the competition, and the ruthlessness of this business is far more intense off the field than it is on the field. And it's pretty intense on the field. 'You would want to know if there's a change in the rights fee (for ESPN),' he added. 'Those are the things the union needs to figure out. But most importantly, once you understand it, you're going to have to decide how do you fight it for your fair share? If anybody thinks that was just an idle, off-the-cuff comment from Roger (Goodell) – I forget when he said it, maybe a couple months ago – that he thought the players share was too high, you know that's what they do. They start messaging early.' Which means NFL players are pressed to reset their union priorities in a hurry and buckle up early for the next labor war that is surely coming. Contact Jarrett Bell at jbell@ or follow on social media: On X: @JarrettBell. On Bluesky:
CBS News
08-08-2025
- CBS News
Inside two alleged luxury auto theft rings in North Texas: Suspects, Stolen Cars, Unprosecuted Leads
A search warrant reveals that some suspects from two North Texas auto theft cases — estimated at a combined value of $4 million — were connected. On paper, it has not evolved into a criminal charge. Stephen Howell has a hard act to follow. His father, Dave Howell, worked at the Plano Police Department for 44 years and was the founding detective for the department's auto theft division. His son, Stephen, is now the detective chasing down suspected car thieves. "Yeah, well, he would say that," Howell said. Stephen Howell is just as busy as his father, if not busier, especially with luxury car and truck rings making their way to his desk. In June, a man had his Rolls-Royce Spectre stolen in the Legacy West area. A search warrant obtained by CBS News Texas reveals the suspects took advantage of an unmanned valet stand. Investigators said the alleged thieves grabbed the keys and drove away. The car would not raise attention in an area where luxury vehicles are standard. Even the getaway vehicles investigators connected to the crime—a white 2025 Mercedes S63 AMG—only caught the attention of a multi-agency law enforcement group, including the FBI. The arrest document said the FBI was able to trace the vehicle back to an Instagram account connected to fugitive Oscar Ivan Valdez Garcia. Several Texas law enforcement jurisdictions wanted Garcia to face felony warrants for crimes including aggravated assault, burglary, vehicle theft, and robbery. The Plano Police Department said Garcia, Salvador Hernandez, and Miguel Angel Hernandez were arrested on charges of theft of property over $300,000, a first-degree felony. The three were apprehended after investigators executed search warrants at two houses in Dallas: 8315 and 8447 Alto Garden Drive. Officers said among the vehicles recovered were a Rolls-Royce Spectre, Rolls-Royce Cullinan, Cadillac Escalade-V, Maserati Levante, and an Audi RS7. Officers estimated the value at $1.5 million. Investigators said in the documents that they had been conducting surveillance on the homes and monitoring social media activity. Police said Garcia's account contained photos, videos, and messages showing high-end vehicles (including a white Mercedes-Benz S63 and a Rolls-Royce Spectre), firearms, body armor, large amounts of U.S. currency, conversations about drug trafficking and vehicle sales, and attempts to get a social media site to remove a fugitive post. "They're taking the vehicles via what's called the key programmer," Howell said. "It's used to trick the vehicle into thinking that the programmer is a key for the vehicle, which allows them to manipulate the push start and start the vehicle with the push start." The search document also reveals that the houses were being rented to the suspects by a family Howell is familiar with. Jacob Ruiz is a suspect in a 2023 stolen truck case. The detective is still waiting to see the case through the legal system. "Everybody knows one another. In this case, the individuals from the first case were leasing out the locations to the individuals from the second case," Howell said. According to the detective, Ruiz, David Villegas, Jesus Daniel Perez Rodriguez, and Stive Montes Miguel were working in concert in alleged schemes to steal trucks—lots of them. "The total value of the 49 vehicles was roughly $2.5 million," Howell said."The stealers would roughly get about five thousand dollars a car. The sellers would sell it for about 30-ish per truck." Howell said part of the group would execute the thefts. Miguel, he said, was responsible for moving the stolen merchandise. The trucks, like the vehicles from 2025, get fake titles and VINs, according to the detective. Then, he said, unsuspecting customers would buy them only to find out the hard truth at the Texas DPS. "I can tell you without a doubt that there are more victims and there are other vehicles that were at those residences that were not there on the day that we executed the search warrants," Howell said. Torres is the only one out of the group serving time for the 2023 case. The rest are awaiting adjudication or face new allegations. Investigators have not proven that the two cases are related beyond the location where officers allegedly found stolen vehicles, and four suspects with auto theft charges in two separate cases. In any of the cases, some victims learn of the recovery. "I will tell you that most people don't want their car back after someone else has been in it," Howell said. "They feel victimized, and they feel as if the fact that the suspect got into that vehicle has traumatized them so that they don't want the vehicle back."
Yahoo
05-08-2025
- Yahoo
Ghislaine Maxwell not welcome in Texas ‘Club Fed' prison camp, says inmate: ‘Human trafficking is a violent crime'
Ghislaine Maxwell's transfer to a minimum-security prison in Texas — commonly referred to as a 'Club Fed' — has upset her fellow inmates, who believe she shouldn't be there given the nature of her crimes. The disgraced British socialite and former girlfriend of the late sex offender Jeffrey Epstein was quietly transferred this week from a stricter low-security prison in Tallahassee, Florida, to a prison camp 100 miles outside Houston, Texas. Maxwell's new prison mainly houses inmates convicted of 'white-collar' crimes and minor offenses, and they are said to be angry about her presence. She is serving a 20-year sentence for sex trafficking underage girls for Epstein, the financier and convicted pedophile, who was found dead in his prison cell in New York while awaiting trial in 2019. A prisoner at Federal Prison Camp Bryan told The Telegraph that she was 'disgusted' by Maxwell's transfer, a feeling shared by many fellow inmates. Julie Howell, 44, who is serving a one-year sentence for theft, told the outlet that 'every inmate I've heard from is upset she's here.' 'This facility is supposed to house non-violent offenders,' she added. 'Human trafficking is a violent crime.' When Maxwell arrived at the facility, prisoners were reportedly locked down and had the blinds closed in an apparent attempt to hide her from view. Inmates at minimum-security institutions, also known as FPCs, enjoy a low prison guard-to-inmate ratio and minimal or no perimeter fencing. FPC Bryan has a sports field, gym, arts and crafts activities, a theater program, and a program that allows inmates to play with puppies and train them to become service animals. It is the same prison where Elizabeth Holmes, founder of Theranos, the fraudulent blood-testing company, is serving an 11-year sentence. In recent weeks, President Donald Trump has faced mounting pressure from Democrats and his MAGA supporters to release all information related to Epstein, as he had promised during his campaign. A reversal by Attorney General Pam Bondi's Department of Justice and the FBI, which concluded that Epstein died by suicide and lacked a 'client list' of influential individuals for whom conspiracy theorists claim he procured girls, sparked outrage. The Trump administration has since attempted to calm the anger by requesting that judges release grand jury transcripts in the Epstein and Maxwell cases, although there has been no move to release files held by the FBI and DOJ. Maxwell's transfer occurred a week after she was interviewed by Deputy Attorney General Todd Blanche, fueling intense speculation that the Trump administration struck a deal with her. During a nine-hour interview, Maxwell was reportedly questioned about dozens of billionaires, politicians, and other notable figures connected to the late sex offender. Her lawyers state she is willing to testify before Congress in exchange for a presidential pardon or a commutation of her 20-year sentence—a possibility Trump has not ruled out, repeatedly asserting that he has the power to do so. Her fellow inmates at FPC Bryan are worried about their safety, given the widespread threats against Maxwell and the lack of tight security on the prison grounds. Howell said: 'We have heard there are threats against her life and many of us are worried about our own safety because she's here.' Maxwell was moved in secret after being 'bombarded' with death threats from rapists who accused her of being a 'snitch,' The Daily Mail reports. A source told the newspaper: 'As soon as Ghislaine spoke to the government, she was considered a snitch by other inmates at Tallahassee. There were very real and very credible threats on her life. 'There were real fears inside Tallahassee that they could not guarantee her safety, which is why she was moved.' In an email sent from prison to the Telegraph about Maxwell's transfer, fellow inmate Howell wrote: 'I am honestly shocked she was moved to a federal prison camp with her history and charges.' Howell, a married mother of four and former professor, said her daughter was repeatedly trafficked from the age of 17, leading to her being 'beaten, choked and eventually shot' as well as becoming pregnant, resulting in her mother adopting the child. The traffickers were apprehended by the FBI and local law enforcement with Howell's assistance and are now serving federal prison sentences of over 20 years. Howell, who was convicted of stealing $1 million from her former employer, Tarleton State University, to fund her gambling addiction said: 'I don't blame anyone else for the actions that brought me to FPC Bryan, but I can definitely say that the circumstances that surrounded my daughter being shot were what sparked my spiral and addiction to gambling to escape my reality. 'Having Ms Maxwell here triggered all of those feelings.' Howell also warned that Maxwell could be a flight risk, given how she evaded the authorities for months before her arrest: 'This is a camp you can literally walk out of. I don't care how many people she turns in; it doesn't take away from her actions. 'As a mother of a sex-trafficking victim, I'm absolutely disgusted she's in this facility. Regardless of her reasoning, I don't think she belongs here.'
