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State police report on mailbox vandalism, crashes

State police at the Hazleton barracks reported on the following incidents:

• A 38-year-old woman from Weatherly was charged with shoplifting (retail theft) at 12:42 p.m. at the Walmart store on Airport Road, Hazle Township.

Police said video footage of the incident showed the woman tried to steal children’s clothing worth $128.87, an air fryer valued at $129, a Happy Nappe priced at $39.88 and Gorilla Glue worth $4.84.

• Police were summoned Nov. 14 and 15 to investigate three separate incidents of criminal mischief, with damage caused to residents’ mailboxes on Quakake Road.

The first call came in at 7:10 p.m. Nov. 14 when a 74-year-old Weatherly man, who reported someone damaged his mailbox worth $150.

That was followed by a similar call, when another $150 in damages were reported to a box owned by a 57-year-old Weatherly man. In that incident, police said someone threw a pumpkin at the mailbox.

The third complaint was received at 1:32 p.m. Nov. 15 when a 66-year-old Weatherly man reported his mailbox worth $60 was damaged.

• A car driven by a Weatherly man struck a deer on Route 93 (Hudson Drive) in Packer Township at 1:56 p.m. Nov. 14 and then caught fire.

Police said Dominick J. Aurisano, 30, was southbound in a 2009 Buick Enclave when it struck the deer. The vehicle needed to be towed from the scene after police received an assist from the Nesquehoning fire and police departments.

Aurisano was not injured.

• Berihu R. Teame, 26, of St. Louis, Missouri, was cited after a crash at 8:35 a.m. Nov. 6 on the CANDO Expressway in Hazle Township. The crash involved a woman from Tamaqua.

Police said he was driving a 2016 Freightliner that was stopped in the turning lane of the expressway eastbound when a 2009 Chevrolet Silverado operated by Danielle M. Smith, 49, of Tamaqua, was westbound in the expressway near the intersection with the Interstate 81 southbound ramp. Police said the rig operator attempted to make a left turn and was struck by the Silverado.

Police said neither driver was hurt, nor was a passenger in the rig.

The tractor trailer sustained minimal non-disabling damages, while the Silverado was heavily damaged and needed to be towed from the scene, police said.