Police and Crime News
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Penn State Football Assistant Coach Charged With DUI
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Updated 12:36 p.m. Sept. 24, 2026. A former Penn State football player and current member of the Nittany Lion coaching staff was charged on Tuesday with driving under the influence of alcohol stemming from an incident in August in downtown State College. Jordan Lucas, an assistant cornerbacks coach, had a blood alcohol level nearly three…
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Accused Leader of Penn State Fraternity Cocaine Ring Seeks Speedy Trial
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The alleged leader of a cocaine trafficking ring that prosecutors say operated out of two Penn State fraternities is pushing to have his case go to trial by the end of the year. In a motion filed on Sept. 16, attorney Philip Masorti wrote that Agostino S. Abbatiello “intends to fully exercise and insist upon…
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Centre County Man Who Admitted to Killing His Wife Pleads Guilty to Third-Degree Murder
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A Centre County man pleaded guilty to third-degree murder on Tuesday for the strangulation death of his wife in October 2025. Alan K. Reed, 75, will be sentenced to 15 to 30 years in prison after admitting to killing 57-year-old Dawn M. Reed, his wife of more than 30 years, inside their Rush Township home.…
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Man Charged After Biting EMS Employee and Resisting Arrest in Beaver Stadium, Police Say
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A man who police say was highly intoxicated is accused of biting an emergency medical services employee and kicking at officers in Beaver Stadium on Saturday. Christian A. Swartwood, 19, of Lock Haven, smelled of alcohol and was unable to maintain his balance in section EH during Penn State’s game against Buffalo, according to an…
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Ferguson Township Police Add Centre Region’s First Fully Electric Patrol Cruiser
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Ferguson Township Police Department has added what the township says is the first fully electric patrol vehicle in the Centre Region to its fleet. The department is now using a Chevrolet Blazer EV Police Pursuit Vehicle, a model designed specifically for law enforcement rather than a standard civilian electric vehicle. The vehicle is intended to…
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Rescue Cat Fatally Shot in Pleasant Gap, Reward Offered in Animal Cruelty Investigation
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A rescue cat was euthanized on Monday afternoon after suffering a gunshot wound in a Pleasant Gap neighborhood, according to her owners and law enforcement. The cat, Preeka, managed to drag herself home around 1 p.m. Monday, when an outdoor security camera captured footage of her returning to the house, said Humane Society Police Officer…
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Former Centre County Daycare Worker Indicted on Federal Child Pornography Charges
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A former Centre County daycare worker arrested in 2025 for allegedly taking sexually explicit photos of children at the facility where she worked is now facing federal charges. A federal grand jury on Tuesday indicted Shannon M. Ishler, 45, of Bellefonte, on charges of production and possession of child pornography. The indictment accuses Ishler of…
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Centre County Man Accused of Possessing Child Sexual Abuse Material
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A Centre County man is facing felony charges after investigators said they found child sexual abuse material on his computer. The state police Computer Crimes Unit received a tip from Microsoft Bing about a sexual photo of a prepubescent girl uploaded from an IP address that investigators traced to the College Township residence of David…
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Lifers Ask Pa. Supreme Court to Open Pathway for Resentencing After Lawmakers Fail to Act
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A previous ruling means people charged with second-degree murder no longer face mandatory life-without-parole sentences. That doesn’t apply to people already sentenced.
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Man Arrested After Trying to Run Over People in Downtown State College, Police Say
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A man was arrested after he tried to run over a group of people with his SUV on a downtown State College street early Saturday morning, according to borough police. Kwame Watkins, 38, of State College, is charged with a felony count of aggravated assault, along with misdemeanor counts of simple assault, recklessly endangering another…