2 PennWest Clarion football players suspended amid investigation into "incident of violence"
In a statement, PennWest said it's "aware of an incident of violence" that happened off campus. The school didn't provide any other details, but said state police are investigating.
"We are gathering the facts to understand the circumstances and cooperating with the Pennsylvania State Police, who are leading the criminal investigation," the school said.
A spokesperson for the university confirmed two students have been suspended from football team activities pending further investigation.
"PennWest does not tolerate acts of violence, and remains committed to fostering a safe, inclusive, and respectful environment," the university said in a statement.
In a Facebook post, PennWest Clarion asked anyone with information to contact university police or state police.
PennWest Clarion is one of three
Pennsylvania Western University
campuses. The university was created when California, Edinboro and Clarion merged.
KDKA-TV reached out to state police for more information on the investigation.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
New York Post
29 minutes ago
- New York Post
Michigan couple held in Mexican prison for month over timeshare dispute claims resort ‘weaponized' criminal justice system
A Michigan couple held in a Mexican maximum security prison for a month over a timeshare dispute have filed suit against a resort, claiming it 'weaponized' the Cancun judicial system and coerced them to sign an NDA while armed guards stood watching, court papers show. Paul and Christy Akeo claim Palace Resorts LLC brought bogus criminal charges to retaliate against them for a since-resolved $100,000 dispute over timeshares — and to get back at Christy for her involvement in a private Facebook group with over 8,000 members, many of whom were alleged victims of the resort's shady 'timeshare tactics,' according to a lawsuit filed by the Akeos Friday. The resort began a 'secret lawfare campaign' against the couple for disputing 13 credit card charges totaling $116,587 — which the credit card companies refunded the Akeos in 2022, finding their claims valid, explains the suit filed in Miami-Dade County Circuit Court. 8 Paul and Christy Akeo have filed suit against a Mexican resort for defamation and malicious prosecution that allegedly landed them in a maximum security prison south of the border. Obtained by NY Post Starting in 2016, the couple, both 60, bought timeshares for the Cancun location at 'exorbitant prices' as 'wholesale customers' and would then resell the bookings to others under agreement with Palace Resorts, the court papers explain. In exchange for helping the resort profit over $4 million between their stays and the business they brought in through others, the Akeos received 'bonus stays' at the resort, the filing explains. 'They were two people who loved to vacation, travel and adventure,' said Lindsay Hull, Christy's daughter and Paul's step-daughter. 8 The Akeos claim Palace Resorts LLC brought criminal charges against them for a since-settled $100,000 dispute. 'They absolutely loved it, and they loved sharing it with other people,' Hull said of her parents' motivation for reselling bookings. But the Akeos' arrangement with the resort went sour by March 2022, after the terms of the agreement changed just four months earlier in November 2021, the court papers claim. The resort sent the couple a cease-and-desist letter, alleging they 'breached their membership,' the filing claims. The resort eventually reneged on bookings the Akeos helped broker for others, prompting the pair to dispute charges with the credit card companies on the grounds that the 'product or services had not been received,' the filing alleges. Instead, the resort pressed charges by falsely accusing the couple of 'fraudulently' canceling the credit card transactions by claiming they were unknown charges, the filing explains. 8 The Akeos were held in a notorious maximum security prison in deplorable conditions for 30 days, their lawsuit alleges. Facebook/Congressman Tom Barrett 'The Akeos never told the credit companies that they did not recognize the charges or that the charges were fraudulent,' the suit claims. On March 4, the travel-loving duo were stopped by Mexican customs at the beginning of a trip and then were immediately cuffed and thrown into the notorious CERESCO prison for 30 days — housed with 'violent criminals,' in deplorable conditions, the court documents claim. 'The arrest came as a complete surprise to the Akeos,' and would kick off a month of hell for the pair, the suit alleges. 'They were scared, terrified, and frightened that they may never go home again,' the suit claims, noting the Akeos were told they'd have to remain there for at least six months during an investigation and faced up to six years if convicted. 8 President Trump intervened, sending Michigan Republican Congressman Tom Barrett to the prison to help free the couple. Facebook/Congressman Tom Barrett Their 'captivity' made national headlines and prompted President Trump to intervene and send Republican Michigan Congressman Tom Barrett to Mexico to advocate for their return. Christy and Paul — a 21-year Navy veteran and mechanical engineer with the Michigan State Police — were kept apart in cells alongside members of Mexican cartels, murderers and rapists in squalid conditions inside the decrepit lockup, the court papers allege. For two weeks, Christy was housed in a cell with a toilet that didn't flush. And on Paul's first night behind bars, he was kept with 35 other men as 'the guards had pepper-sprayed the fan in Paul's room to calm down agitated prisoners,' the filing claims. 'They were in very, very traumatic conditions,' Hull told The Post. 8 The couple was housed with hardened criminals including members of a Mexican cartel, murderers and rapists, the court papers allege. Facebook/Congressman Tom Barrett She said her mom lost 25 pounds in her first two weeks there because she was provided with food that had fish in it, despite her notifying the facility of her fish allergy. Hull, 29, said she only got to speak to her mom between two to five minutes a day — and that was after the first three days of Christy's detainment when there was 'absolutely no communication with them,' she explained. The brief conversations were all Hull had as she and her brother fought 18 to 20 hours a day to bring national awareness to her mom's case in their effort to mobilize the government to get her and Paul back, Hull explained. The cells they stayed in were hot without ventilation and were smeared with feces and urine, as there was no running water for the showers or toilets, the daughter said. And there were cockroaches and rodents 'roaming around,' she added. 8 The Akeos stayed at Palace resorts throughout Mexico and in Jamaica. Finally, a month later, the couple were hauled into a Cancun court and told by their lawyer and Rep. Barrett that the only way the Mexican prosecutors would drop the case against them was if they signed a settlement deal that included signing a non-disclosure agreement, the filing alleges. The agreement included terms that the Akeos close down the Facebook page of disgruntled customers, pay the resort a sum of money, keep quiet about their ordeal and arbitrate any further dispute in the International Court of Arbitration in Canada. Hull said she and her brother reached out to the founder of the Facebook page, whom they didn't know, and pleaded for the group to be closed down so her parents could return. The Akeos claim the agreement isn't valid because they made it under 'duress,' including being forced to sign documents while guards armed with machine guns stood over them, the filing claims. 8 The Akeos were only released after they signed an NDA agreement allegedly under duress, the suit claims. Tom Barrett/X The resort started an arbitration case in the Vancouver court, but the Akeos want a judge to invalidate any requirement for the case to be fought behind closed doors in the arbitration, since they were coerced into signing the agreement, the court papers claim. 'It's not fair that my parents are not able to speak about their story,' Hull said of the NDA her parents signed. 'They deserve to advocate for themselves. 'They were under the impression that they would never be released from prison if they did not sign this NDA.' 8 The Akeos would sell timeshares and then resell them, as part of an agreement with the resort, the court papers claim. handout The Akeos are seeking unspecified damages for claims of defamation, malicious prosecution, abuse of process, duress and intentional infliction of emotional distress. 'They deserve justice for what they went through,' Hull said. 'When you're dealing with companies of this size, they need to be held accountable.' Hull said her parents haven't been the same since their harrowing stint in prison, with both now suffering from anxiety and fear for which they now seek treatment. David Orta, a lawyer for the resort, said his client 'rejects all claims' and said they plan to 'defend against them and otherwise take appropriate legal action to enforce the Palace Company's rights.' 'The Akeos and the Palace Company fully resolved their disputes earlier this year,' the lawyer said, apparantly referring to the papers they signed in Cancun. 'Mr. and Mrs. Akeo have unfortunately proceeded with additional litigation against the Palace Company and affiliated entities and individuals in violation of the parties' resolution of their disputes.'
New York Post
an hour ago
- New York Post
Nicaraguan man illegally in US facing ‘enhanced' charges after drunken hit-and-run: sheriff
A Nicaraguan man in the United States illegally is facing 'enhanced' charges – due to his immigration status – in Florida for a drunken hit-and-run over the weekend, according to the Polk County Sheriff's Office. Sheriff Grady Judd said deputies arrested Roberto Sandobal-Lopez, 34, on Saturday after he crashed his white Honda into someone's fence in Winter Haven at around 7 p.m. and walked off. Deputies were alerted to the crash after witnesses called the sheriff's office to report the incident. Sandobal-Lopez was found by law enforcement walking in the nearby area shortly after the crash and deputies determined he was intoxicated. His eyes were described as 'watery' and 'bloodshot,' and deputies said they could smell alcohol. When he was asked if he had been drinking, Sandobal-Lopez allegedly said he drank six bottles of Modelo a few hours earlier at around 5 p.m. 3 Nicaraguan national Roberto Sandobal-Lopez, 34, was arrested in Polk County, Florida, on Saturday after driving drunk, crashing into someone's fence and fleeing the scene. Polk County Sheriff's Office Two samples during a breath test revealed BAC levels of 0.13 and 0.124, according to the PCSO. Field sobriety tests also showed 'several signs of impairment,' the sheriff's office said. Sandobal-Lopez was taken to the Polk County Jail and charged with DUI with property damage, driving under the influence, leaving the scene of the crash with property damage and not having a driver's license. 3 Sandobal-Lopez allegedly told Polk County deputies that he drank six bottles of Modelo beer about two hours before he crashed his car into someone's fence and fled the scene. Christopher Sadowski His charges have been upgraded by one degree because he is in the US illegally, which makes his 'DUI with property damage' charge a third-degree felony. The remaining charges are all first-degree misdemeanors. Sheriff Grady Judd said in a Facebook post that Sandobal-Lopez will remain in jail until he is picked up by US Immigration and Customs Enforcement. 3 Sheriff Grady Judd said in a Facebook post that Sandobal-Lopez will remain in jail until he's picked up by ICE. Polk County Sheriff's Office Judd said it's fortunate that only a fence was damaged during the drunken drive and called Sandobal-Lopez a coward for walking away from 'the scene and responsibility.' The sheriff also reiterated that being in the US illegally is a crime and, in Florida, immigration status will impact the severity of criminal charges. 'In Florida, if you're committing the crime of being here illegally, your other criminal charges are enhanced one degree; he's now facing a serious felony because he caused damage to property while driving under the influence,' Judd said.
Yahoo
2 hours ago
- Yahoo
New Brunswick attorney lost in diving expedition remembered: 'a force of nature'
Funeral services have been set for a popular New Brunswick-based attorney who died last month pursuing his other passion as the captain of shipwreck hunting expeditions. A religious family funeral for Joseph M. Mazraani is at 10:30 a.m. Aug. 23 at Saint Sharbel Maronite Church, 526 Easton Ave., in the Somerset section of Franklin. Visitation is from 4 to 8 p.m. Aug. 22 at the DeMoro Funeral Home, 517 Route 33, Millstone. Mazraani, 47, died July 29 in a diving-related incident believed to be related to a medical emergency about 200 miles offshore from Massachusetts, on the eastern edge of Georges Bank, during a dive to a shipwreck the team called The Big Engine Steamer, according to a Facebook post by D/V Tenacious, Mazraani's New Jersey-based dive vessel that locates, dives, and salvages shipwrecks. "Joe Mazraani was larger than life. He was kind, compassionate, and generous. A mentor and a student, a friend, brother, son, and partner. Whether motoring aboard D/V Tenacious, diving into deep and dangerous water, or defending his clients in court, Joe demanded the best of everyone around him. Sometimes he demanded it grumpily – but he always demanded by example," the Facebook post said. According to his obituary, Mazraani was born in Beirut, Lebanon and grew up during the height of the Lebanese Civil War. He came to the U.S. at 15 and later graduated from the City University of New York with a degree in film studies and earned his law degree from Seton Hall University School of Law. He was a founding partner at the Mazraani, Liguori & Farmer law firm, 57 Paterson St., New Brunswick, located across the street from the entrance to the Middlesex County Courthouse, where he practiced both criminal and civil law. "In the courtroom, Joe was a force of nature – brilliant on his feet and on paper, with a mastery of the rules of evidence that allowed him to dismantle cases before they began. It was the conflicts Joe witnessed growing up in Lebanon that led him to be peculiarly sensitive to victims of government oppression. He dedicated his life to criminal defense because he wanted to be the bulwark between the State and the individual," his obituary states. "If you sought to take away his client's freedom, you had to go through him first. He left nothing on the field. He could turn a routine pretrial motion into hours of argument that, for better or worse, held the attention of everyone in the room. When cases went to trial, his authenticity, clarity, and dramatic approach won over juries time and again." Mazraani's career included victories in two separate cases that led to exonerations recognized by the National Registry of Exonerations. One of those involved Timothy Puskas who, after spending a decade behind bars, was found not guilty last year of all charges in the 2014 murder of former Rutgers student William "Billy McCaw. It was the second trial for Puskas after his 2017 conviction was overturned in state appellate court. Mazraani and Puskas posed for a photo together when Puskas was released from custody. A Facebook page remembering Billy McCaw also included a news story post about Mazraani's death. According to his obituary, Mazraani was known as one of the world's leading shipwreck hunters and technical divers and will be remembered as one of the great East Coast dive boat captains. His love of the ocean began during childhood summers by the Mediterranean and he became a certified scuba diver in the mid-1990s and started exploring wrecks along the Northeast coast. In 2010, he founded Atlantic Wreck Salvage and acquired his own vessel, D/V Tenacious, which he outfitted for ambitious deep-water expeditions, his obituary states. "He lived every moment fully, without compromise," his obituary states. Mazraani is survived by his partner Jennifer Sellitti, who is also an attorney, his parents, brother, law partners, friends, colleagues and fellow divers. Atlantic Wreck Salvage has organized a memorial fund in Mazraani's name to promote shipwreck exploration and preservation of maritime history. Contact Jennifer Sellitti at jsellitti@ for the address for donations to be made to the Captain Joe Mazraani Memorial Fund. Email: srussell@ Suzanne Russell is a breaking news reporter for covering crime, courts and other mayhem. To get unlimited access, please subscribe or activate your digital account today. This article originally appeared on Funeral set for New Brunswick attorney Joe Mazraani Solve the daily Crossword
