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'Bomb' suspect has troubled past

Nesquehoning police are still searching for a man with a troubled history and upset over his daughter's medical care, whom they believe slashed a woman's tires and left disturbing notes and a box with "tic toc" printed in large letters near her car a week ago.

The suspect, John Robert Large, 49, of Lansford, may be driving a 2013 Toyota Scion coupe, with a license plate number JJW0313, or a red Kia. He also has a red Mazda and a beige Chrysler. The color of the Toyota Scion was not known as of Friday morning.Borough police Chief Sean Smith describes Large as "aggressive," and asks that anyone who sees him call 911 or Nesquehoning police at 570-669-9111. An alert has gone out to every law enforcement agency in the state to be on the lookout for Large.He faces a felony charge of risking or causing a catastrophe; and charges of making terroristic threats with the intention of terrorizing another, terroristic threats to cause serious public inconvenience, criminal mischief/tampering with property, disorderly conduct, and harassment.The events unfoldAccording to an affidavit of probable cause filed by officer Timothy Wuttke, here's what happened:Wuttke was called to 8 Sixth Ave. early on the morning of June 14 after someone slashed four tires on a car and left the duct taped box, about 5 inches long and 2 inches thick, on the ground nearby. The couple who live in the house, Tom and Maureen Osinchak, said there were also three hand written notes in black marker on their cars.One note, on white paper, was printed with "D/C or" and a picture of a coffin with a cross drawn on it, followed by "today, Maureen." Two notes were on a second vehicle. One read "you will no longer be punished your inaction will cauze (sic) other's pain." The third note read "discharge today or" with a picture of a coffin and a cross on it, then "by the end of the day you (expletive)."Maureen, who works as an administrator for HCR Manor Care, Bethlehem, told Wuttke that "D/C" is similar to what is written on medical charts for discharge. She told Wuttke that Large, whose daughter is a resident, was pushing for her discharge to a facility in Hometown. Police had been called to Manor Care to have him removed.Osinchak told Wuttke that Large does not have legal guardianship of his daughter, and so cannot have her moved. She said other staff also have had disagreements with Large over the matter.Large also allegedly violated a court order detailing when he can visit her at the facility.The Osinchaks told police they had been awakened by their dog barking at 1:30 a.m. June 12. Maureen found that someone had taken the nozzle off their hose and let the water run down the driveway.On the morning of June 13, Tom was driving to work when his dashboard trouble lights came on: There was no radiator fluid in the car. Wuttke found the radiator had been punctured in four places. The couple's other car had similar damage, and each tire had a three-quarter-inch wide cut in it.Wuttke evacuated neighbors and called in the Allentown bomb squad to detonate the box in case it contained explosives. It turned out to be an empty Honey Nut Cheerios box encased in two layers of duct tape.A search of Large's house at 11 W. Bertsch St. turned up two black markers in the kitchen, marker smudges on a coffee table, and a roll of duct tape matching the tape on the box. A large screwdriver lying on the living room floor had a similar shape to the object used to puncture the radiators on the Osinchak's cars.Wuttke scheduled an interview with Large for 10 a.m. June 15. He read Large his Miranda rights. But Large declined to be interviewed, saying he had spoken with his lawyer the previous night and was told to not speak with police without his lawyer.A troubled lifeLarge also has a warrant for his arrest issued by the Carbon County Adult Probation Department for violating his probation on charges of harassment and stalking of people who failed to do what he wanted, according to the affidavit.He's no stranger to law enforcement in Carbon and Lehigh counties.In the summer of 2007, Large was charged with stalking the late Carbon County Judge David W. Addy, who had been handling Large's child custody case. At an Aug. 1 preliminary hearing, Addy testified that Large twice waited for him at a desk down the hall from his chambers, and outside the courthouse. Large had sat in his courtroom, staring at him, as he considered cases.On July 20, 2007, Large went to Addy's house and shouted. Addy's secretary testified that Large had repeatedly threatened to kill Addy.According to testimony, Large had accused Addy of intimidating his lawyer at a July 18, 2007 custody hearing. He demanded Addy recuse himself. Large's lawyer said she had not been intimidated.Carbon County District Attorney Gary Dobias noted that Large had convictions for resisting arrest, disorderly conduct and reckless endangerment from two incidents, and had been arrested 15 times for harassment, with seven convictions.One of those cases involved former county President Judge Richard Webb, who had to recuse himself from a case after Large followed him.Large, charged with using improper influence in official and political matters, a felony, was sentenced to up to 18 months each on charges of terroristic threats and stalking. In Aug. 2008, he was ordered paroled to a facility for organic brain injury, according to court records. He was admitted to the Remed Recovery Care Facility in Malvern, Chester County.In January 2008, Large was arrested for repeatedly calling Lehigh Valley Hospital, Cedar Crest, on Christmas Eve and threatening a security guard there. He was charged with terroristic threats and harassment.In February 1997, Large and his wife at a public meeting accused Jim Thorpe school officials of intimidation by making what Large said was an unfounded accusation of child abuse involving his then 7-year-old daughter, a special needs student.

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