Solicitation at Princess Lanes Leads to Harassment Charge

Not the Charitable Way

A Whitehall Borough police officer went to the Princess Lanes bowling center at Caste Village at around 8:10 p.m. on Thursday for a report that a man was struck in the back of his head there, Whitehall police Chief Donald R. Dolfi said.

When the officer arrived, he was greeted by the victim, who said that a woman trying to solicit money from him for a family fundraiser had struck him after he refused to participate in her fundraiser.

The man said that he was approached by this same woman—Lucy Marie Husser, 54, of 5115 Union Ave. in Union Township—at Princess Lanes about one week prior with the same request and refused to participate then, as well.

This week, the victim said, he crinkled up the woman's fundraising flier before he left her to walk to his lane, Dolfi said. While he was walking away, the victim said, the woman struck him, swore at him and called him insensitive.

A Whitehall officer observed redness and swelling on the man's head, but medical attention was not deemed to be necessary.

Witnesses reported seeing Husser strike the man, Dolfi said, and police are charging her with harassment. (UPDATE: The charge was dismissed on Jan. 28.)

Scam Targets Elderly Woman at Maiden Bridge Apartments

An 83-year-old resident of Whitehall's Maiden Bridge Apartments building on White Hampton Lane called police at around 11:56 a.m. on Monday to report that she recently received a suspicious letter asking for her bank account information, Dolfi said.

The letter was from "ABC Lotería International" in Madrid, Dolfi said, and it stated that the Maiden Bridge resident was the winner of 962,885 euros. The letter, of which a Whitehall police officer informed the resident was a scam, stipulated that she complete a payment processing form and fax her personal information back to Madrid. The letter's author was requesting $96,000 in exchange for the euros.

The resident was advised not to respond to the author.

"Nothing is for nothing," Dolfi cautioned. "People have to know that."

Assault Charge from Parkline Drive

Whitehall police officers went to the Wallace (Prospect) Park-area apartments building of 1633 Parkline Dr. at around 10:25 p.m. on Monday for a report of a disturbance and a possibly injured female there, Dolfi said.

When the officers arrived at the particular apartment in question, they met a male resident but were denied access to his apartment, Dolfi said. The officers eventually learned that a female had recently left the apartment, and they detained the male and checked on the female's whereabouts.

Officers eventually found the female, who had apparently sustained a facial injury during an argument with the male, Dolfi said. A crew from Medical Rescue Team South Authority arrived at the scene and took the female to St. Clair Hospital for an examination.

Meanwhile, officers arrested the male—Blake Andrew Thompson, 24, of 1633 Parkline—and took him to the Allegheny County Jail. Police are charging Thompson with simple assault.

Read through other Whitehall police items here.

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