WPD Reports: Pair of DUI Accidents

All information is according to official police reports filed at the Whitemarsh Township Police Department. All suspects are presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.

Suspected DUI accident:
At approximately 12:32 a.m. on Friday, Sep. 28, police received the report of a hit-and-run in the area of Bethlehem Pike and Church Road, from a caller who said that a Honda four-door had struck his vehicle and left the scene.

After a short search that involved the assistance of the victim’s friend, who was following the vehicle, police say they located the Honda in a parking lot at 612 Church Road. Police spoke with the driver, Celso Garcia III, 24, of the 100 block of Reiffs Mill Road, Ambler, and reported that they smelled the odor of alcohol on his person. In addition, Garcia had blood shot eyes and shaking hands, and told police that he had been driving around a corner too fast and thought he had spun into a ditch when the accident occurred, police said.

Garcia then failed several field sobriety tests and registered a .150 BAC on a breathalyzer test, police said. He was taken into custody and transferred to a nearby hospital where he consented to a chemical blood test.

Suspected DUI:
At approximately 1:26 a.m. on Tuesday, Oct. 2, Whitemarsh police were dispatched to the intersection of West Valley Green Road and Creek Lane for the report of a single vehicle accident. Upon arrival, they observed that a 2007 Ford Focus had crashed into the iron bridge on West Valley Green Road, sustaining heavy frontend damage.

Police spoke to the driver, Anna Haines, 24, of the 2000 block of Cedar Lane, Flourtown, and suspected that she was intoxicated. Haines failed several field sobriety tests and registered a .171 BAC on a breathalyzer test. She was transported to a nearby hospital and consented to a chemical blood test. Charges are pending labs results.

Burglary:
At approximately 7:47 a.m. on Friday, Sep. 28, an employee of the Flourtown Service Center, on the 700 block of Bethlehem Pike, Flourtown, reported to police that a burglary had just been discovered. The resulting police report does not provide many details of the incident, but does state the following items were stolen:

• 36 vehicle inspection stickers
• 43 vehicle emissions stickers
• $500 in cash

Magazine soliciting without a permit:
Police received numerous calls about door-to-door magazine solicitors from the company “PS Circulation.” Officers were originally called to the 3000 block of Mathers Hill Road on the afternoon of Saturday, Sep. 29, when they discovered ten employees from out of state canvassing neighborhoods without proper permits.

Police contacted the employees’ manager and told him to come pick them up and that they were illegally soliciting. One of the employees had an active warrant for possession of a controlled substance in Tennessee, but the warrant did not have an extradition clause.

Police were again summoned to the 4000 block of Fairway Road on October 1, where they discovered one of the employees again allegedly selling magazines for PS Circulation without a permit.

Theft:
At approximately 1:32 p.m. on Monday, Sep. 24, the owner of Maytag Laundry, of the 1700 block of Butler Pike, Conshohocken, reported to police that someone had stolen a laundry cart from her business. Surveillance videotapes showed a female customer, who the owner says is a regular, wheeling the $100 cart out of the store and never returning with it.

Theft from auto:
At approximately 7:10 p.m. on Monday, September 24, a customer of the Jiffy Lube gas station on the 800 block of Bethlehem Pike, Flourtown, reported to police that he believed someone had taken $200 out of a white envelope in his vehicle’s center console while it was being serviced. However, the manager of the business and all employees denied having taken it. In addition, the employee who serviced the vehicle told police that he gave the customer permission to search his person.

He also told police that the customer changed the amount of the money he said was missing. No charges were filed.

Fraud:
At approximately 3:30 p.m. on Tuesday, Sep. 25, a resident of the 200 block of Summit Avenue, Conshohocken, reported to police that she had lost possession of her purse at the church in the Fellowship House two days earlier. She told police the purse contained $20, an ID card, and a Wells Fargo debit card.

Later, Wells Fargo informed her that someone had used the card to make a $650 purchase at the Dick’s in Plymouth Meeting.  Charges at a Lukoil and Macy’s in Springfield were denied.

Theft from vehicle:
At approximately 12:34 p.m. on Wednesday, Sep. 26, an employee of Quaker Chemical, 901 E Hector Street, Conshohocken, reported to police that someone had taken an EZ-Pass from her vehicle while it was parked in the company’s lot. The woman reported to police that she believed she knew the responsible actor, but would advise if she wanted police to make contact.

No charges have been filed and the EZ-Pass has not been used since the theft, police said.

Theft at wedding reception:
At approximately 3:45 a.m. on Sunday, Sep. 30, a wedding guest told police she suspected an unknown white male had stolen her purse out of the lobby of the Holiday Inn on the 400 block of Pennsylvania Avenue, Fort Washington.

Although the male was reportedly dressed as if he was a wedding guest, the victim does not believe that he was. Police were scheduled to review video surveillance on October 1.

Fraud- Bad checks:
At approximately 3:31 p.m. on Thursday, Sep. 27, a resident of the 400 block of Ridge Pike, Lafayette Hill, reported to police that a business client had written seven checks that have bounced in the past year, totaling $2,763. Police advised the woman to send a detailed payment request to the client before charges could be filed.

Criminal mischief: At approximately 12:35 p.m. on Friday, Sep. 28, a resident of the 3000 block of Joshua Road, Lafayette Hill, reported to police that an unknown object damaged the driver’s side of her vehicle’s front windshield. The resident believed the damage occurred sometime after that Wednesday afternoon while the vehicle was parked eastbound on Rebel Road.

• View our previous report: Teen Arrested for Drug DUI in Conshohocken