Published: May 14, 2008 11:09 pm      

2 city men charged in separate incidents

A Johnstown man wearing boxer underwear, socks and a shirt was arrested late Tuesday on charges of attempting to break into an Old Conemaugh Borough business and threatening to kill a woman who lives nearby.

Darrell Anthony Sharp, 23, of the 700 block of Horner Street, was arraigned Wednesday before District Judge Michael Musulin on two counts of attempted burglary and one of terroristic threats.

The woman told Johnstown police that a man – identified as Sharp – had pounded on her door and threatened to kill her if she didn’t let him inside her Adams Street apartment, police Chief Craig Foust said.

The woman became hysterical, climbed out a window on a ledge/roof area and screamed for help, Foust said.

Patrolman Robert Carothers heard the screaming and ran to check on what was happening.

The Johnstown Fire Department was sent to assist in getting the woman off the ledge. Sgt. Jeff Janciga and Detective Sgt. Tom Owens got her off the ledge and into the interior of the apartment, it was reported.

The chain of events was set off at 10:30 p.m. when Carothers was dispatched to a report of a suspicious person at Formica Kitchens, 734 Railroad St.

When he got there, he saw a man running away, Carothers said in a probable cause affidavit. The man’s boots and sweatshirt were found in front of the business, he said. The front window of the store had been broken.

Sharp was lodged in the county jail in lieu of $25,000 bond. A preliminary hearing will be held May 22 before Musulin.

In an unrelated attempted burglary, another city man with blood on his hand was arrested early Wednesday and charged with attempting to break into the Fairfield Avenue Lounge, 74 Fairfield Ave.

Christopher Schonvisky, 23, of the 700 block of Virginia Avenue, was arraigned before Musulin and lodged in the county prison in lieu of $45,000 bond.

He was charged with attempted burglary, attempted criminal trespass, possession of pills without a prescription and drug paraphernalia and possessing an instrument of a crime – a large pocket knife. A preliminary hearing will be held May 22 before Musulin.

City police said the front window of the bar had been broken and an attempt had been made to gain entry through a rear door.

Two passers-by had reported the attempted break-in after spotting a man pulling his left arm out of the bar’s broken front window, police said.