NIAGARA FALLS — Man charged after driving at kids

A Falls man was arrested after police said he tried to run over some children with his car.

John J. Campbell, 30, 1745 Whitney Ave., Apt. 2, was charged with second-degree reckless endangerment and third-degree menacing, according to city police.

Officers said they responded to the 1500 block of Whitney Avenue at 9:13 p.m. Sunday and a witness told them she saw a yellow Chevy Tracker drive up on a lawn and almost hit two children.

One of the children told police they were throwing snowballs at each other and inadvertently hit the Tracker as it was driving by. The driver of the SUV, identified as Campbell, stopped his vehicle, backed up, drove over the curb and straight at the children. None of the children were hurt.

Police located the SUV and Campbell a short distance away from the scene.

Niagara Falls

n BURGLARY: Police are investigating a burglary in the 600 block of 79th Street. A 54-year-old man told officers that sometime between 11:20 a.m. and 3 p.m. Saturday someone broke into his home by forcing open a rear door. The victim said a Wii games system, a Kinect game system, 15 video games, a TV, a laptop computer and a coin bank were taken.

• BURGLARY: Officers are looking into a burglary in the 1000 block of Garden Avenue. A 52-year-old woman told police that sometime before 5:55 p.m. Saturday someone broke into her vacant property by forcing open a side door. The victim said all the copper pipe in the house, the water meter, some dishes and paint, a bathroom sink, a fire extinguisher and a lawnmower were taken.

• THEFT: Police are investigating a theft from a parking lot in the 700 block of Builders Way. A 25-year-old woman told officers she had parked her car at 10:40 p.m. Saturday and when she returned at 11:15 p.m., someone had cut off the vehicle’s catalytic converter.

• ROBBERY: Officers are looking for a suspect in the armed robbery on a convenience store in the 2600 block of Niagara Street. A store employee told police that a man had entered the business at 9:20 p.m. Sunday and approached the front counter. The suspect told the employee, “This is not a joke. Give me the money. I have a gun.” The employee gave the suspect an unknown amount of cash and he was last seen running from the store, east on Niagara Street.

• ROBBERY: Police are investigating a robbery at a service station in the 8600 block of Niagara Falls Boulevard. A clerk told officers a man entered the store at 10:18 p.m. Monday and approached her. The suspect told the clerk, “I have a gun. I’ll shoot you if you don’t give me money.” The clerk gave the suspect an unknown amount of cash and he ran out of the service station, north on Tuscarora Road.

• ARREST: A Falls man was arrested after a incident in the 400 block of Niagara Street at 8:53 a.m. Monday. James Perry Bills, 53, 626 20th St., Apt. 3, was charged with petit larceny.

• VANDALISM: Police are investigating eight vandalism incidents in the 800 to 1100 blocks of 20th and 22nd streets, as well as the 2000 block of LaSalle Avenue. All the incidents occurred between 7 a.m. Sunday and 11:30 a.m. Monday. In each case, someone slashed the tires on multiple vehicles in those areas.

• ARREST: A Falls woman was arrested after a shoplifting incident in a store in the 1200 block of Pine Avenue. Amylyn Marie Satkovich, 29, 2468 Pierce Ave., was arrested on a charge of petit larceny. A store manager told police that Satkovich took more than $20 worth of merchandise without paying for it.

• ARREST: A Falls man was arrested on drunken driving charges after a traffic stop in the 5600 block of Niagara Falls Boulevard at 6:10 p.m. Monday. William George Andrakulic, 57, 1398 Elderberry Drive, was charged with driving while intoxicated, leaving the scene of an accident, and several vehicle and traffic charges.

• BURGLARY: Officers are looking into a robbery in the 2900 block of 22nd Street. A 20-year-old man told police that sometime between 4 and 9 p.m. Monday someone broke into his apartment by kicking in the rear door. The victim said three TVs and a laptop computer were taken.