NIAGARA FALLS

Falls teen charged in assault on police officer

Rashaad R. Welch, 18, 1320 Ashland Ave., was charged with second-degree assault, second-degree obstructing government administration and resisting arrest on Saturday.

Police said they went to the Ashland Avenue address after a relative asked to have Welch removed because he was under the influence of drugs. Officers said as they spoke to Welch he suddenly punched one of them in the face. The officers said they briefly fought with Welch until they were able to use a Taser on him and take him into custody.



Four arrested in melee outside Whiskey River

Four people were arrested after a large fight just after midnight Saturday outside a popular Main Street nightclub.

Falls police said they responded to a call of a large fight outside Whiskey River, 2109 Main St., at 12:18 a.m. Sunday and “observed a large group congregated in the roadway, engaged in physical altercations.”

Officers said all of the combatants appeared to be highly intoxicated and the four people arrested refused repeated requests and orders to leave the area.

James R. Vinovrski, 22, 2711 Juniper Drive, Glen Heights, Texas, Mario L. DiBartolomeo, 24, 3542 Moyer Road, North Tonawanda, and Kristina M. DiBartolomeo, 22, and Felicia Huttenmaier, 22, both of 5345 Shawnee Road, Sanborn, were each charged with disorderly conduct.



Niagara Falls

• ARREST: A Falls woman was arrested after she fought with the parents of three children because the children would not go to church with her. Theresa Engleson, 55, 3411 Royal Ave., was charged with third-degree assault, third-degree menacing and disorderly conduct. Engleson is accused of attacking a 24-year-old woman after she objected to her children going to church with Engleson. The victim said she was grabbed by the throat and had her hair pulled during the incident at the intersection of Welch Avenue and 30th Street at 2:50 p.m. Sunday.

• WARRANT: Police have issued a warrant for the arrest of man living in the 1000 block of 100th Street. Officers said the 43-year-old man, who is known to them, was creating a large amount of noise by running a race car engine at high speed at his home at 2:13 p.m. Sunday. When officers asked the man to lower the noise, he told them he didn’t have to and when they attempted to arrest him for disorderly conduct, he ran inside his home and locked the doors. The suspect will face charges of second-degree obstructing governmental administration and disorderly conduct.

• BURGLARY: Officers are looking into a burglary in the 2300 block of 14th Street. A 24-year-old man told police sometime between 7:30 a.m. Friday and 3 p.m. Sunday someone broke into his home by breaking a window on the front door. The victim said an MP3 player, a vase containing $125, his wallet and some prescription medications were taken.

• ARRESTS: Two North Tonawanda brothers were arrested after police found them inside a home without electricity in the 1800 block of Walnut Avenue. James R. Dziomba, 21, and Christopher Dziomba, no age listed, both of 395 Witmer Road, were each charged with first-degree loitering. Officers had responded to a burglary in progress call at the home at 10:10 p.m. Saturday and found the brothers there. They told police they go to the house “to do drugs,” the report said.

• BURGLARY: Police are investigating a break-in in the 400 block of Fourth Street. A woman told officers sometime between 7:15 p.m. Saturday and 1:50 a.m. Sunday someone broke into her apartment by breaking a rear window. The woman said the apartment was ransacked with food and other items thrown all over. She also said a TV and a lamp were broken.