Town of Lockport

2-car accident sends man to ECMC

A two-vehicle, head-on crash on Stone Road at 7:14 a.m. Wednesday left a Lockport man injured.

Niagara County Sheriff’s Capt. Bruce Elliott said Dennis Desso, 60, of Wilson, was heading east on Stone Road when he lost control of his pickup truck and veered into the other lane, striking an SUV. Both vehicles swerved off the road and were heavily damaged, Elliott said.

“There was light snow on the road, and Desso may have been driving too fast for the conditions,” Elliott said.

The driver of the SUV was sent to Erie County Medical Center for leg fractures, according to the report.



INDIANA

Social network sites lead to capture

U.S. marshals captured a Lockport man Wednesday in Terre Haute, Ind., after Lockport Police learned his whereabouts via his Facebook and MySpace pages.

Christopher Crego, 39, formerly of 4617 Sunset Drive, was wanted for second- and third-degree assault charges from Nov. 22, 2008, and fled the state just before his sentencing date last fall, police said.

Less than a year later, Lockport police charged Crego again with driving while intoxicated and unlawful possession of marijuana on Aug. 8.

Through Crego’s Facebook and MySpace pages, police were able to find him.

“He had all of his information right online,” Lockport Capt. Richard Podgers said. “He even wrote one time that police were never going to catch him.”



Customs

Agents bust woman on old warrant

U.S. Customs and Border Protection agents arrested a Canadian citizen wanted on a 29 year old arrest warrant.

Agents said Homenella Cole, 74, of Hamilton, Ont., tried to enter the U.S. on Tuesday by crossing the Lewiston-Queenston Bridge. Cole told the CBP agents she was not allowed in the U.S. because of a previous criminal convictions in Canada and was at the bridge to apply for a criminal waiver that would allow her to enter the country as a visitor.

Record checks then showed that Cole was the subject of active felony warrant, issued on April 1, 1980, by the New York City Police Department for possession with the intent to distribute marijuana. Cole was arrested on the outstanding warrant and turned over to the custody of the New York State Police pending extradition to New York City.



Niagara Falls

• ARREST: A Falls man was arrested after police found him drunk and passed out at the wheel of his car. Ira D. Pearce, 81, 5655 Niagara Falls Blvd., Apt. 19, was charged with driving while intoxicated and consumption of alcohol in a motor vehicle. He was also charged on an outstanding arrest warrant for failure to appear in court on a previous DWI arrest. Officers said they were called to a liquor store parking lot in the 8400 block of Niagara Falls Boulevard at 5:10 p.m. Wednesday for a report of a man passed out at the wheel of his car. They found Pearce passed out with his car in drive, in the middle of a driving lane in the lot. Officers said there was an open can of beer in the car’s cup holder and several empty, mini-bottles of whiskey in Pearce’s lap.

• ARREST: A Falls woman was arrested after a shoplifting incident at a supermarket in the 1000 block of Portage Road. Brenda l. Wilson, 52, 714 Division St., Apt. 4, was charged with petit larceny. She’s accused of taking more than $45 worth of merchandise without paying for it.

• ARREST: A Falls man was arrested after a shoplifting incident at a supermarket in the 1000 block of Portage Road. Jonathan P. Snyder, 38, 1308 South Ave., Apt. 4, was charged with petit larceny. He’s accused of taking more than $121 worth of steak without paying for it.

• BURGLARY: Police are investigating a burglary in the 2200 block of LaSalle Avenue. An 83-year-old woman told officers sometime between 4 p.m. Tuesday and noon Wednesday someone broke into her garage by breaking off a lock. The victim said an air compressor and a scooter were taken.

• BURGLARY: Officers are looking into a burglary in the 2400 block of Michigan Avenue. A 54-year-old man told police sometime between 7:05 and 9:10 a.m. Wednesday someone broke into his home by breaking a window on a rear door. The victim said a 42-inch flatscreen TV, a computer, a Wii game system, a DVD player, five bottles of wine and two antique rifles were taken.