NEW CASTLE —
Three charged in purse theft
Three men have been charged in the theft of an Ellport woman’s purse containing cash and prescription drugs.
Christopher Jay Magusiak, 20, and John Dakota Assalone, 21, both of Ellwood City, and Cameron Robert John Connifey, 22, of Beaver Falls, have been charged by Ellwood City police with robbery, conspiracy to commit robbery, theft by unlawful taking and receiving stolen property.
Magusiak was arraigned by District Judge Jerry G. Cartwright and is in the Lawrence County jail after failing to post $25,000 bond. He is also being held on $10,000 bond on an unrelated charge.
Warrants have been issued for Assalone and Connifey.
According to police, the theft occurred around 3 p.m. Oct. 8 at the woman’s apartment on Portersville Road. The woman told police the purse had been snatched off the kitchen table by the three suspects after her attention had been diverted by Magusiak, police said.
The purse contained $2,000 from a check she had just cashed, a prescription of 180 pills of Roxicodone, plus a change purse, identification cards and a checkbook.
Police said a witness saw two of the suspects entering a vehicle in the parking lot of the old Shad Hanna’s Restaurant. A third person was already in the vehicle, described as a blue Mitsubishi Eclipse. The witness provided police with a partial vehicle registration number.
Upon checking records, police determined Connifey owned the vehicle. On Nov. 23, police spoke to Magusiak who was arrested on unrelated charges. Magusiak said he and the other two men were at the apartment, but denied stealing the purse, police said.
Updates
Related Photos
Discussion
December 5, 2012
Three charged with snatching purse
- Updates
-
- Fire reported at Overlook nursing home
-
Business ‘total loss’ after fire
A Little Beaver Township business was destroyed when a fire started in a garage. Enon Valley Volunteer Fire Chief Ben Hostetler said the blaze broke out about 12:20 a.m. Sunday in the garage of John Curea at 1791 State Route 551.
Continued ... -
Ex-attorney faces new set of charges
A disbarred attorney, already jailed on theft-related charges, is facing a new criminal case. Michael Frisk, formerly of Ellwood City and now serving time in the Lawrence County jail, is charged with forgery and other counts for allegedly taking money from an Allegheny County client.
Continued ... - UPDATE: Man injured in fall at McConnell’s Mill
- Man charged in South Side break-in
- Man rescued at McConnell's Mill
- Police use Taser in wanted man’s arrest
- Police: Man facing fourth DUI rams Shenango cruiser
- Saturday
- Police: texting led to fatal accident
- Hillsville man dead following shooting
- Friday
- Woman charged in fatal accident
- Broken jaw leads to assault charge
- Thursday
- South Side robbery being probed
- Man reports being robbed on East Side
- Men riding four-wheelers help catch burglar suspects
- Police arrest South Side burglar suspects
- Wednesday
- Service will honor fallen officers
- Three city residents admit to drug ring role
- Man reported dead still alive
- Tuesday
- Suspect leads police on East Side chase
- Fire destroys mobile home
- Monday
- Prosecutors granted stay in Jordan Brown decision
- Suspect in officer’s death is arraigned
- Police: Man dies after husband, wife shoot each other
- Man accused of impeding firefighters
