A Carbon County man admitted on Tuesday in the county court to assaulting his mother with a baseball bat. He was one of 17 defendants in pending criminal cases to enter a guilty plea before Judge Steven R. Serfass.

Penn Forest Twp.Dale Michael Wakefield Jr., 20, of Albrightsville, pleaded guilty to one count of simple assault. He was charged by state police at Fern Ridge for an incident on Sept. 2, 2012, at his residence along SR534 in Penn Forest Township.Wakefield had an altercation with his mother, Theresa Wakefield, concerning the use of her vehicle. He admitted striking her with a baseball bat on the right thigh. He left the home prior to the arrival of troopers.After troopers left the home he returned and threatened her with a knife, troopers said. He was then taken into custody and jailed.Charges of terroristic threats and recklessly endangering were dropped in a plea bargain.Serfass deferred sentencing and ordered the adult probation department to prepare a presentence investigation (PSI) report.Other pleasMichael V. Perez, 18, of Lehighton, pleaded to one count of simple assault. He was arrested for an incident on Sept. 20, 2012, in a wooded area off Main Lane, in Lehighton. He was accused of having inappropriate contact with a then 15-year-old girl. In a plea bargain, a charge of indecent assault was dropped.Perez apologized for his actions and said was getting help.Serfass sentenced him to serve 10 days in jail followed by one day less two years of probation. He was also ordered to render 100 hours of community service, have no contact with the victim, get a mental health evaluation and follow any recommendation for treatment, and attend behavior counseling sessions.He will begin the jail term at 6 p.m. on Friday, Feb. 1, and serve the term on consecutive two day weekends.Jason Lyle Shoenberger, 34, of Lehighton, pleaded to one count of driving while under suspension-DUI related. He was arrested on April 21, 2012, by Mahoning Township police who stopped him along Blakeslee Blvd. for having an expired registration plate on his vehicle. A check revealed he was under suspension.Serfass sentenced to serve 60 days in jail and pay a fine of $500. He will also lose his license for another year.He begins the jail term at 6 p.m. on Feb. 3 and serve three days weekends consecutively until the 60 days is completed.Carlos M. Vazquez, 22, of Kutztown, pleaded to one count of driving under the influence (DUI). He was arrested by Mahoning Township police on Nov. 4, 2011, along Blakeslee Blvd. Given a test, the result showed the presence of a controlled substance.Serfass sentenced him to serve 72 hours to six months in jail, a fine of $2,500, one year license suspension, get a drug and alcohol (D&A) evaluation and follow any recommendation for treatment, and render 25 hours of community service while on parole.He will begin the jail term at 8 a.m. on Friday, Feb. 1.Lawrence Alfred Stewart, 45, of Jim Thorpe, pleaded to one count of possession of a small amount of marijuana. He was arrested on Aug. 1, 2011, by Lansford police for an incident in the 200 block of E. Ridge St.Serfass sentenced him to time served (seven days) to 30 days in jail.James Joseph Carlin IV, 24, of Albrightsville, pleaded to one count of unauthorized use of a motor vehicle. He was arrested on Nov. 29, 2012, by state police at Fern Ridge for an incident in which he took the vehicle of his mother, Brenda Watts, without her permission.Serfass sentenced him to serve two to one day less 24 months in prison and ordered he get a D&A evaluation, and render 100 hours of community service while on parole. He was given credit for 51 days spent in jail on the charge and paroled.Steven M. Mika, 27, of Lehighton, pleaded to one count of possession of a controlled substance. He was arrested on Nov. 15, 2011, by Lehighton police for an incident at the Garden of Gypsy Hill apartments. Police responded to a report of a unwanted person. Mika was the person and when police took him into custody to remove him from the area they found heroin on his person.Serfass sentenced him to time served (107 days) to one day less 24 months in jail, and ordered he get a D&A evaluation, and render 100 hours of community service while on parole.Floyd Carl Hibbler Jr., 54, of Lehighton, pleaded to one count of DUI. He was arrested on Feb. 7, 2012, along First St., by Lehighton police. Given a test, the result was .18BAC.Serfass placed him on probation for six months and ordered he pay a fine of $300, get a D&A evaluation, and render 25 hours of community service.Matthew J. Schaffer, 36, of Lehighton, pleaded to one count each of simple assault and recklessly endangering another person. He was arrested on Sept. 18, 2012, by Mahoning Township police for an incident involving his wife, Clara Schaffer, as the victim and occurring at their residence along Upper Nis Hollow Road.Serfass deferred sentencing and ordered a PSI.Lorene Marie Rice, 36, of Palmerton, pleaded in two pending cases. She pleaded to two counts of retail theft. The first incident occurred on Nov. 1, 2010, at the Walmart store in Mahoning Township in which she took $134.77 worth of merchandise.The second incident occurred on Oct. 8, 2012, at the Family Dollar Store in Palmerton in which she took $12 worth of merchandise.Serfass placed her on probation for a total of 48 months and ordered her to render a total of 300 hours of community service, supply a DNA sample, and get a mental health evaluation.It was noted she is facing probation violation in five other cases.Belinda Hettler, 55, of Lehighton, pleaded to one count of DUI. She was arrested on March 18, 2012, along Second St., by Lehighton police. Given a test, the result was .09BAC.Serfass placed her on probation for six months and ordered she pay a fine of $300, get a D&A evaluation, and render 25 hours of community service.Nicholas Walters, 31, of White Haven, pleaded to one count of DUI. He was arrested on Aug. 7, 2010, along Broad St., in Beaver Meadows. Given a test, the result showed the presence of heroin and cocaine in his system.He was previously placed in the county's Accelerated Rehabilitation Disposition (ARD) probation program for first time offenders but was revoked from it for violating conditions.Serfass sentenced him to serve 72 hours to six months in jail, a fine of $1,000, one year license suspension, get a D&A evaluation, and render 25 hours of community service.He was given credit for eight days spent in jail on the charge and paroled.Richard E. Egrie, 47, of Lansford, pleaded to one count of theft. He was arrested by Nesquehoning police for an incident on Oct. 20, 2010, at Redner's Warehouse Market where he took items valued at $10.04.Serfass placed him on probation for a year and ordered he render 50 hours of community service.Paul Willard Smith, 23, of Effort, pleaded to one count of DUI. He was arrested on April 6, 2012, along SR209 by Lehighton police. Given a test, the result was .19BAC.Serfass placed him on probation for six months and ordered he pay a fine of $300, get a D&A evaluation, and render 25 hours of community service.Ashley Matz, 19, of White Haven, formerly of Jim Thorpe, pleaded in two pending cases. She pleaded to one count each of possession of a controlled substance-heroin and hindering apprehension.She was arrested on the drug count on Sept. 26, 2012, by agents of the state Attorney General's office for an incident outside the office of District Judge Edward Lewis of Jim Thorpe.Agents asked to search her van and found 17 bags of heroin and cash in it. The hindering charge stems from a incident on Aug. 30, 2012, when state police at Fern Ridge went to her then residence in Penn Forest Township looking for Ryan E. Wurst, who they had a warrant. Troopers learned he had been at the home and that Matz knew they wanted him.On the drug count Serfass placed her on probation for a year and ordered she render 50 hours of community service and get a D&A evaluation. On the hindering charge she was placed on probation for another year, consecutive to the first count, and render another 50 hours of community service for a total of 100 hours.Chad Mack, 23, of Aquashicola, pleaded to one count of possession of drug paraphernalia. He was arrested on Dec. 2, 2011, at South and S. Second sts., by Lehighton police. He was previously placed in the ARD program but was revoked from it.Serfass placed him on probation for a year and ordered he get a D&A evaluation, and render 50 hours of community service.Carol Lynn Scott, 48, of Lehighton, pleaded to one count of disorderly conduct as a summary offense. She was arrested on April 25, 2012, by Lehighton police when they responded to 185 1/2 S. Second St. for a report of an overdose. Scott was found with a fentanyl patch in her mouth. A drug count was dropped in a plea bargain.She told Serfass she had gone through a inpatient rehab program and continues counseling.He imposed a fine of $300 and costs.Each defendant sentenced must also pay court costs, which average close to $1,000, and pay a $50 per month supervision fee while on probation or parole.