Latest news with #JohnstownPoliceDepartment
Yahoo
05-06-2025
- Yahoo
Local law enforcement: Incidents underreported, so scope not fully quantified
JOHNSTOWN, Pa. – The National Human Trafficking Hotline identified 12 likely victims of human trafficking in Cambria County from 2015-22. There were three in Somerset County. A few legal cases have taken place. In 2017, Barshay Dunbar, of Johnstown, was convicted on charges stemming from operating a sex ring using out of the Super 8 hotel in Richland Township, in which he paid the women with drugs. The case developed when a hotel general manager notified police of suspicious activities. Barshay Reqwan Dunbar Barshay Reqwan Dunbar William Warren was arrested in 2022 and later pleaded guilty to trafficking and other charges. Law enforcement began an investigation after responding to an overdose at his residence, next to the Stonycreek Township Police Department, in which the woman later died. Then, a few weeks ago, a Johnstown man was charged with multiple felonies after allegedly providing a teenage runaway with drugs and using her for sexual favors in exchange for a place to stay. Those were all occurrences or allegations of sexual human trafficking. Cambria County District Attorney Greg Neugebauer said he has not seen cases of labor human trafficking because, 'We don't really have a lot of migrant workers that come through here.' Without elaborating, Neugebauer said, 'Frankly, we're actively investigating several cases right now.' Those might not seem like a statistically significant number of incidents. But law enforcement officers, legislators, counselors and advocates agree that human trafficking crimes are extremely underreported. 'With human trafficking, 1,000%, those numbers lack reporting, especially in our area,' said Victim Services' Jessica Piro, the Cambria County Human Trafficking Response Team's co-coordinator. Johnstown Police Department | Chief Mark Britton Johnstown Police Department Chief Mark Britton shown here outside the Public Safety Building on Washington Street in downtown Johnstown on Wednesday, June 4, 2025. Johnstown Police Department Chief Mark Britton compared the lack of reporting to the silence that often accompanies other crimes of violence and exploitation. 'It's just like somebody who has been raped,' Britton said. 'You know they've been raped. You know they've been abused. But they don't want to come forward because of the embarrassment, or because they have become so used to the abuse that they encounter – not so much maybe physical abuse, but the mental abuse and the emotional abuse – they don't want to come forward because they're so aligned with that type of behavior that they don't know any other behavior. They don't know how they're going to survive.' 'Definitely happening' About a decade ago, Kelly Callihan attended a Pennsylvania District Attorneys Association conference in Philadelphia during which there was a presentation about human trafficking. 'I just remember thinking, 'Human trafficking, I'm going to half-pay attention. That doesn't apply here,' ' said Callihan, who was Cambria County's district attorney at the time. 'Then once we heard the presentation, I was like, 'Wow, this is definitely happening then in our area.' ' Callihan's experience inspired her to help form the Cambria County Human Trafficking Response Team in 2016, in collaboration with other individuals and organizations, including Victim Services Inc. Kelly Callihan Kelly Callihan The trafficking response group is connected to the Cambria County Sexual Assault Response Team. Members come from victim services groups, law enforcement agencies and health care providers. The organization works to raise awareness about the issue, develop practices for law enforcement, train people such as medical professionals and hotel workers on how to recognize the signs of human trafficking, and assist survivors. Even with the team carrying out its mission, it is still a challenge to define the scope of how much human trafficking occurs locally. 'It's one of those things that I don't think, necessarily, the amount of cases that are being filed is indicative of what the actual problem is,' said Callihan, who is now the Pennsylvania District Attorneys Association's executive director. 'Kind of like a hub' The Pennsylvania Turnpike, Interstate 99, U.S. Route 219, U.S. Route 22, other highways and rails carrying Amtrak trains pass through the local region – providing ways for human traffickers to move among major metropolitan areas, such as New York, Philadelphia, Pittsburgh, Cleveland, Washington, D.C., Baltimore and Buffalo. 'What we're primarily seeing is that it's kind of like a hub,' Piro said. 'We are in the middle of several key cities, and we're also on what is like a trafficking beltway from D.C. to Ohio.' Greg Neugebauer | Announces Candidacy For Judge Cambria County District Attorney Greg Neugebauer answers questions from the media after announcing his candidacy for Judge of the Court of Common Pleas during a press conference at the Young Peoples Community Center in Ebensburg on Thursday, January 16, 2025. Neugebauer recalled one case from a few years ago 'that will always stick out in my mind' involving a person being trafficked through the region. 'Essentially, the victim met this individual at a bar in another state,' Neugebauer said. 'They started hanging out, and before she knew it, she was being basically driven across the country and being severely physically abused. 'They stopped at a local store to get gas and some snacks and the perpetrator basically left her alone for a minute. And she essentially ran out of the car. A store employee saw her, saw that she had what appeared to be fresh physical injuries. That kicked off an investigation that led to us looking at things in other states and all kinds of stuff.' Neugebauer said he does not believe the people had any local connections other than they were passing through the area. The victim later died from underlying health issues, according to Neugebauer.
Yahoo
23-05-2025
- Yahoo
Johnstown seniors learn to fight back against online scams
JOHNSTOWN, Pa. (WTAJ)—The Cambria County Area Agency on Aging held a free luncheon to teach seniors how to spot financial scams. Members heard from officials from the Johnstown Police Department and the Pennsylvania Attorney General's office about the effects of financial exploitation. In addition, seniors were given multiple pamphlets and a game of Bingo titled 'Fraud' to save themselves from financial trouble. 'Financial exploitation of the elderly is one of the fastest growing crimes in the United States,' M. Vail Griffith, the director of the Cambria County Area Agency on Aging, said. 'And there's so much of it all over the world. But right here in Cambria County, we get calls almost every week.' Topics included ways to avoid multiple scams, which involve tactics such as online relationships, late tax filings and Pennsylvania Turnpike toll fees. Those who end up giving their information to help end up hurting financially. 'We see older adults losing thousands and thousands and thousands of dollars, even to the point of losing their home,' Griffith said. 'The older adults just really think that they're helping someone and that they'll get paid back.' To learn more ways to spot fraud and scams, visit the Pennsylvania Department of Banking and Securities website and look for the Cybersecurity Resources tab. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
01-05-2025
- Yahoo
‘You really think reporting me to the police is going to do anything,' Johnstown man charged with stalking, threatening to kill ex
CAMBRIA COUNTY, Pa. (WTAJ) — A Johnstown man is facing charges after he allegedly stalked and threatened to kill people. Jarrett Watts, 31, has been accused of threatening to kill his ex-girlfriend and her new boyfriend and sending them threatening letters and messages, according to a criminal complaint. In March, the victims came to the Johnstown Police Department and reported that Watts was stalking them. Watts is accused of sending a TikTok to one of the victims, which stated how he was going to shoot the other victim. Police noted that this video featured Watts driving around in a clown mask with a squirt gun, saying, 'Let me pull up and shoot your boyfriend.' According to the affidavit, Watts was told to stop contacting the victims. Attempted homicide charges filed after Blair County man was shot in the head However, Watts allegedly continued to text, call and stalk the victims. The messages allegedly showed that Watts was outside the victim's house watching them throughout the day. He allegedly texted a picture of a black pistol and said that one of the victims would 'get his.' Watts also allegedly texted one of the victims, 'You really think reporting me to the police is going to do anything. I know everything that goes on in your life, doesn't matter how,' and that both the victims would 'get it.' Both victims told police that they feared that Watts would break into their home and assault them as he had been threatening to do. One of the victims also turned over letters that Watts allegedly sent them. In the letters, Watts stated that he was going to kill him when he got out of jail, according to the affidavit. Watts is in the Cambria County Prison with bail set at 10% of $25,000. He is facing charges of terroristic threats, stalking and harassment. A preliminary hearing is scheduled for May 15. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
07-04-2025
- Yahoo
Police: Johnstown man charged after hitting woman with car, fleeing
CAMBRIA COUNTY, Pa. (WTAJ) — A man is facing charges after he allegedly struck a woman with a car and then fled the scene. Bradley McMullen, 35, of Johnstown has been charged in relation to a hit and run that was reported on March 28 on Horner Street, according to a criminal complaint. The Johnstown Police Department was dispatched after a caller reported that a woman had been hit by a white SUV and they had fled the scene. Officers arrived to find the victim and several pieces of a vehicle in the street. Police noted in the complaint that the woman was severely injured in the accident and the car pieces were placed into evidence. They also noted that there were no tire marks on the road which would have indicated a sudden stop of deceleration. Former Bellefonte school board member charged in assault case allegedly shoving victim out of a moving vehicle The vehicle that struck the woman, later determined to be a white 2006 Ford Freestyle, was found on 4th Street Conemaugh. It had sustained damage to the hood and its windshield had been smashed. The registered owner of the vehicle spoke to police and stated that she had been out and that McMullen had access to the vehicle. Police also noted the driver's seat was moved back from the steering wheel which did not match the owner's height, but did match McMullen's. On April 1, officers received contact from a woman who said that McMullen had reached out to her and sent messages about the crash. One of the messages he allegedly sent detailed how a 'lady walked out in front of him' and that he couldn't avoid hitting her. Others he sent admitted to running from the scene and not stopping to check on the victim, according to the complaint. Police noted in the complaint that at the time of the accident, McMullen also had his driver's license suspended. McMullen is in the Cambria County Prison with bail set at 10% of $200,000. He is facing felony charges of aggravated assault and accidents involving injury while operating on a suspended license. A preliminary hearing is scheduled for April 16. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
29-03-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Public safety building plans being explored
JOHNSTOWN, Pa. – Currently, $5 million is in place to be used for either renovating the Johnstown Public Safety Building or putting up an entirely new structure at a different location. Much more money is still needed, though, to make a cleaner, safer, more appealing modern headquarters for the municipality's police and fire departments. Johnstown City Council allocated $2.5 million in federal American Rescue Plan Act for COVID-19 pandemic relief money to the effort. Then, late last year, the city was awarded $2.5 million in state Redevelopment Assistance Capital Program grant funding, which was acknowledged Friday with a check presentation ceremony among state Rep. Frank Burns, D-East Taylor Township, and city representatives. An additional $3.5 million in federal money is potentially lined up. But uncertainty exists with large amounts of federal spending being reviewed by President Donald Trump's administration. Even with that possible funding, there would be gaps between the secured dollars and the upward of $10 million needed for an extensive renovation of the structure that has stood at 401 Washington St. since 1925 or a 'rough guesstimate' of $20 million for a new building, according to Johnstown Mayor Frank Janakovic. 'The problem is the money's coming in fragmented,' Janakovic said during the presentation that took place inside the public safety building. 'We do have $5 million at this time, but we don't have the additional federal money that's $3.5 million. With what's going on in Washington, we're not sure if that would be in '26, '27, whenever that may be available. 'So it's really hard to plan when you've got some of it and you don't know where the rest of the money is coming from or the timeframe for it.' Johnstown received the state money for the project after Gov. Josh Shapiro toured the building with Burns and city officials in September. The involved parties want to discuss the need for additional funding with Shapiro, Pennsylvania's U.S. Sens. Dave McCormick and John Fetterman, and U.S. Rep. Dr. John Joyce, R-Blair. 'I'm committed to helping them do it, whether they want a new building or renovate an old building,' Burns said. 'I realize, for the police, this is about protecting our community, rebuilding our infrastructure one building at a time. We have to do something to help in this situation.' Which project is chosen – either an extensive remodel or the construction of a new building – will be determined by the 'parameters of the dollars,' as Janakovic explained. 'The bottom line is going to be money,' Johnstown City Manager Art Martynuska said. Johnstown Police Department Deputy Chief Mark Britton said 'a new building would be absolutely great' as it would enable the force to 'get up to date with where we need to be on the national average.' He added: 'If the money's not there and we have to do the improvements, at least we could meet with some of what the national average is doing, getting the things that we need.' Repair work has already been done on the current building. 'We have taken some steps already to make sure this building has been rendered safer than what it's been in the past,' Martynuska said. 'A good example of that is what we've done for remodeling and remediation in the basement. We put some new drainage systems in. We have industrial dehumidifiers. Servpro (cleaning and restoration service) has been in and done a bunch of cleanup there. So the air quality's going to be better in this building at least as a stopgap until we decide what we're going to do in the future.'
