Crime & Safety

Pair Lead Upper St. Clair Police on High-Speed Chase into Bethel Park

The duo gets separate, different treatment by the local judge.

Upper St. Clair Township police arrested a pair of Greene County residents earlier this month after they led police on a high-speed chase into Bethel Park, according to court documents.

On Monday, Judge Eugene L. Zielmanski held charges against one of the accused for Allegheny County Court, while the other's preliminary hearing was continued for two months.

The two defendants face different charges following the theft of 13 ratchet and socket sets from the Sears at South Hills Village on Sept. 10, according to the documents.

Following the approximately $310 theft and run-in with Sears security officers in the store's parking lot at around 4:30 that day, Samuel Roy Reese, 35, of Jefferson Road in Jefferson Township, and Hollie J. Reeves, 36, of Hedges Avenue in Jefferson, got into a 1998 Chevrolet Cavalier coupe and drove southbound down Route 19 before exiting onto McMurray Road and heading east, a police criminal complaint states.

At that point, an Upper St. Clair police officer began a 3-mile high-speed pursuit of the Cavalier into Bethel Park, and the chase eventually ended in the parking lot of a business in Bethel's 3000 block of Industrial Boulevard, according to the complaint. Reese was driving.

Both Reese and Reeves then exited the Cavalier and tried to run from police but were caught behind the business' building. Twenty-four empty suspected stamp bags were then found inside of a purse belonging to Reeves, police report. Police also report that Reeves admitted to using heroin.

Before they left the Sears parking lot, two security officers approached Reese and Reeves and accused Reeves of placing the ratchet and socket sets into a purse that she was carrying and leaving the store without paying for them, according to police.

Before they ran to the Cavalier, the complaint states, one of the security officers was able to wrestle the purse away from Reeves and recover the stolen items.

Reese is scheduled for a formal arraignment at the Allegheny County Courthouse in November to face charges of fleeing or attempting to elude a police officer, recklessly endangering another person, conspiracy, possession of drug paraphernalia, resisting arrest, and driving with a suspended or revoked license.

Reeves is scheduled to appear back at the Bethel Park-Upper St. Clair magistrate's office in November to face charges of retail theft, resisting arrest, conspiracy, and possession of drug paraphernalia.

The retail theft charge is a misdemeanor, but according to court documents, Reeves could have that charge reduced to a summary offense if she attends retail theft classes and completes drug & alcohol treatment. And the other three charges could be reduced to disorderly conduct offenses.

Nevertheless, Reeves could be subjected to $300 fines for each charge.


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