Baldwin Borough Police Briefs (Aug. 30-Sept. 11)

Suspected DUI Leaving Loose Moose Saloon

CORRECTION: Accused's name was previously published as "Edward Hofman."

On Wednesday, Sept. 7, at approximately 11:37 p.m., a police officer on patrol near the Brownsville Road-Sunny Drive intersection reported observing a vehicle leaving the parking lot on Brownsville and turning onto Brownsville without signaling.

The officer also reported that the vehicle made a U-turn in the middle of Brownsville without signaling before making a left turn from Brownsville onto Hollowhaven Drive, again without signaling.

The officer pulled the vehicle over on Hollowhaven near Gardenview Road and conducted a traffic stop.

The officer reported that, when he was speaking with the driver of the vehicle in question—Robert Hofmann, 38, of 1344 Clara St. in Castle Shannon Borough—he detected the odor of an alcoholic beverage coming from Hofmann’s breath.

The officer put Hofmann through field-sobriety tests, which he reported that Hofmann failed. The officer also reported that Hofmann admitted to being “buzzed.”

Hofmann was arrested on suspicion of driving under the influence of alcohol and taken to Jefferson Regional Medical Center for a blood test. Results of that test are pending.

He was eventually taken to his home and released to the custody of his parents. 

In addition to the DUI charge, police are charging Hofmann with failure to signal before turning. (UPDATE: The failure to signal before turning charge was .)

Suspected DUI on Closed Portion of Becks Run Road

On Sunday, Sept. 11, at approximately 10:06 p.m., a Baldwin Borough police officer on patrol on Becks Run Road reported observing a vehicle traveling on a .

The officer motioned for the vehicle to pull over and conducted a traffic stop on that road.

The driver of the vehicle in question—Michael Ryan Hawkins, 31, of 3266 Ward St., Apt. 2, in Pittsburgh’s South Oakland neighborhood—told the officer that his GPS had told him to drive onto the closed portion of Becks Run.

The officer reported that, when he was speaking Hawkins, he detected the odor of an alcoholic beverage coming from Hawkins’ breath. The officer reported that Hawkins admitted to drinking alcohol earlier in the day.

The officer put Hawkins through field-sobriety tests, which he reported that Hawkins failed.

Hawkins was arrested on suspicion of DUI and taken to Jefferson Regional for a blood test. Results of that test are pending.

He was eventually released at the to the custody of his friend.

In addition to the DUI charge, police are charging Hawkins with failure to obey traffic-control devices, failure to drive on a roadway laned for traffic and driving on a sidewalk. (UPDATES: The charges of failure to drive on a roadway laned for traffic and driving on a sidewalk were , and the failure to obey traffic-control devices charge was .)