Suspect gives fake ID to West Reading police

A West Reading police officer spotted a man relieving himself about 2:40 a.m. Feb. 28 in the parking lot of a restaurant in the 400 block of Penn Avenue in the borough. After the “highly intoxicated” man finished, the officer asked for his ID. He gave the police a false identification and social security card. Police arrested the suspect, a 37-year-old Reading man, and charged him with tampering with records, fabricating physical evidence, lying to police, disorderly conduct and public drunkenness.

West Reading police arrest bicycle-riding wanted man

By now loyal readers of Borough Blue can rightly assume that if you have outstanding warrants, it’s not a good idea to, say, ride in a car with expired plates or run a red light. But a man who opted for two-wheeled transportation still found it impossible to avoid getting caught.

West Reading police officers spotted the man riding his bicycle without a light about 8:20 p.m. March 1 in the first block of North Fourth Avenue. When they checked hi identification they discovered several warrants and arrested him. He was also cited for not having a light on his bike, which police put in temporary storage.

String of burglaries reported in West Reading

Penn Avenue, the commercial heart of West Reading, was an attractive draw for burglars in a February. For about the last two weeks of the month, and into March, the following break-ins were reported. Police did not indicate what, if anything, was stolen.

• 8:36 a.m. Feb. 12: overnight burglary reported, 500 block of Penn Avenue;
• 1:52 p.m. Feb. 12: 300 block;
• 5:26 a.m. Feb. 21, 400 block;
• 8:04 p.m. Feb. 26, 600 block;
• 3:13 p.m. Feb. 27, 400 block; and
• 8:50 a.m. March 2, 700 block.

Wyomissing man jailed on arson charges

A man turned himself in to police about 5:47 a.m. March 2 after reportedly telling them he tried to blow up a vehicle in the 300 block of Abington Drive in the borough. Police found evidence of an attempted arson and the suspect, a 37-year-old Wyomissing resident, was arrested. He was charged with two counts of criminal mischief and one count each of arson, attempted arson and risking catastrophe. He was jailed in lieu of $100,000 bail.

Pellet guns fired at home, vehicle in Wyomissing

About 5:05 a.m. March 3, a Wyomissing resident noticed the rear window of a vehicle shattered and dents in its vehicle as it was parked in the 700 block of North Wyomissing Boulevard.

The day before, about 6:10 p.m. March 2, a resident in the first block of Goldfinch Drive told police pellets had damaged four windows of his home.

Perfume stolen from store in Berkshire Mall

Someone stole $676 worth of perfume from the front of a store sometime before 9 p.m. March 1 in the Berkshire Mall, in the 1600 block of State Hill Road in Wyomissing.

Pair face charges after showing up unwanted at West Reading restaurant

West Reading police arrested two men on trespassing and other charges about 2:58 a.m. Feb. 20 at the West Reading Diner, in the 400 block of Penn Avenue in the borough. One of the men, a 44-year-old Reading resident, was charged with two counts of disorderly conduct and one count each of defiant trespass and public drunkenness. He was jailed in lieu of $5,000 bail.

The second man, a 33-year-old Temple, Pa., resident, was charged with two counts of disorderly conduct and one count each of defiant trespass, marijuana possession and public drunkenness. He was released after posting 5 percent of $5,000 bail.

West Reading business broken into

A witness called police about 5:26 a.m. Feb. 21 after seeing a broken window in the back of a business in the 400 block of Penn Avenue in West Reading. Borough police arrived but did not indicate if anything was stolen.

Man tells police he has pot in his car

A West Reading police officer spotted a man about 9:05 p.m. Feb. 20 make a wrong turn from Penn Avenue onto Second Avenue. After the officer stopped the vehicle the driver admitted he had marijuana inside the car.

Woman charged with assault at Reading Hospital

An 18-year-old Reading woman was charged Feb. 25 with assault following her arrest almost two weeks earlier stemming from an incident at Reading Hospital. West Reading police received a report of an assault involving hospital staff in the emergency department about 2:33 a.m. Feb. 12. The woman faces two charges each of simple assault and harassment.

Deer carcasses found in Wyomissing park

The Reading Eagle has the story by Steven Henshaw in today's paper: 

"The Pennsylvania Game Commission is investigating the deaths of three deer, at least two from gunshots, after the carcasses were found over the weekend on Wyomissing parkland near a popular recreation trail, officials said Monday," Henshaw writes.

You can read the full article here.

Shoplifting suspect refuses to cooperate

Store security guards stopped a man for shoplifting $24 worth of merchandise about 3:04 p.m. Feb. 21 at VF Outlet in the 800 block of Hill Avenue in Wyomissing. The suspect, who was from out of state, refused to sign any paperwork or pay restitution for the items he stole. Borough police arrested him and issued a citation for retail theft.

Shillington woman charged with drunken driving

A Wyomissing police officer received a report about 5:05 a.m. Feb. 17 of a woman asleep in her vehicle. When the police car arrived she was apparently awake and moving. The officer stopped the vehicle in the 1000 block of Wyomissing Boulevard and found the woman had been drinking. The suspect, a 22-year-old Shillington resident, was charged Feb. 22 with drunken driving, failure to obey stop and yield signs and failure to use turn signals.

Driver faces drug charges following traffic stop

A Wyomissing police officer stopped a vehicle for having a faulty brake light about 1:20 a.m. Feb. 20 in the 1200 block of Penn Avenue in the borough. The inside of the vehicle smelled of pot and the officer found two bags of marijuana and some drug paraphernalia. The driver now faces charges.

Birdsboro woman faces shoplifting charges

A woman who was wanted on a bench warrant from Montgomery County was arrested in Wyomissing Feb. 20 on suspicion of shoplifting. Police said the suspect, a 23-year-old Birdsboro resident, stole $83.96 in merchandise from Sears at the Berkshire Mall, in the 1600 block of State Hill Road. She was turned over to deputies from Montgomery County the day of her arrest. On Feb. 24 she was charged with retail theft and receiving stolen property.

Man punches bouncer after being asked to leave Wyomissing bar

Wyomissing police were called about 1:33 a.m. Feb. 21 to The Works, in the 1100 block of Bern Road in the borough, after a man punched a bouncer in the face. The bouncer had told the would-be customer to leave for violating the bar’s dress code. He was cited for disorderly conduct.

Several businesses broken into in Wyomissing

• About 10:25 a.m. Feb. 21, Wyomissing police received a report of a burglary that had happened overnight at a business in the 1300 block of Penn Avenue. The burglar or burglars broke a side window to get in. Police did not indicate what, if anything, was stolen.
• A Wyomissing police officer on patrol discovered a shattered window in the front door of a business about 11:33 p.m. Feb. 21 in the 1100 block of Penn Avenue in the borough. Though someone apparently entered the building, the owner said nothing appeared to be missing.
• A short time later, a burglar or burglars were successful a few doors away. About 12:09 a.m. Feb. 22, an officer spotted broken glass by the rear door of a business also in the 1100 block of Penn Avenue. Cash was stolen but whoever broke in left behind “a fair amount of blood” as a result of breaking the window.

Woman passed out in car faces charges

A Wyomissing resident called police about 4:21 a.m. Feb. 20 to report a car that was stopped but running at the intersection of Larchwood and Cedarwood roads in the borough. Police found a woman passed out in the car and had to break the rear window to get her out. Unspecified drug items were visible to the officers. They took her to St. Joseph Medical Center for a blood test.

West Reading lifts snow emergency

The borough of West Reading has lifted its snow emergency as of this morning, according to West Reading Main Street's Facebook page. A call to borough hall confirmed that the declaration was lifted sometime before 9 a.m.

Snow emergency declared in West Reading

It may not look like much right now, but the snow falling today (and predicted to continue well into tonight) has prompted West Reading Mayor Shane Keller to declare a snow emergency for the borough until further notice, according to the borough's Web site.

What this means for residents (and anyone who drivers into West Reading, really) is parking is now completely banned on certain streets. The complete list of snow emergency routes can be found here.

The neighboring borough of Wyomissing has no snow emergency routes, but in West Reading drivers who ignore parking restrictions do so at their own peril. Just keep that in mind.