STRUTHERS Tipped-off police raid party, arrest 18 teens

Police said they found beer, whiskey, suspected marijuana and cigarettes.
By MARALINE KUBIK
VINDICATOR STAFF WRITER
STRUTHERS -- City police arrested 18 Poland Seminary High School students at a home on Deer Creek Drive, where alcohol and suspected marijuana were found.
The students range in age from 15 to 18.
According to police reports, officers were tipped that several juveniles were using alcohol at a large party Saturday night. After watching the residence for two hours, and seeing between 15 and 20 teenagers enter the residence, police went to the door.
Reports state that officers saw bottles and cans of alcoholic beverages within the proximity of the teenagers and that one of the partygoers shouted "Police!" after a 16-year-old girl answered the door.
Homeowner away
The homeowner was not present, nor were any of the teens' parents or guardians.
Officers found 28 empty beer cans and 13 unopened beers throughout the house.
They also found two boys with a clear plastic sandwich bag containing suspected marijuana in a laundry room and confiscated a suspected marijuana cigarette and pack of cigarettes from one of the boys, and a blunt cigar containing suspected marijuana from the other boy. Both were charged with drug possession, and the first boy was also charged with possession of a tobacco product by a minor.
Police charged a third boy with possession of alcohol by a minor after they found a half-empty bottle of whiskey in his rear pants pocket.
Charges against the other juveniles were not specified in the report and will be determined by the juvenile court, according to Detective Simone Ugolini. Authorities did not release the names of the juveniles.
Adults charged
The five 18-year-olds in attendance were all charged with contributing to the delinquency of a minor. They are Matthew T. Downie of Howell Drive, Russell C. Snyder of Autumnwood Trail, Kenneth M. Toth of Suncrest Drive, Daniel P. McGarry of Center Road, and Reid A. Lamport of Massachusetts Avenue. All were released on $100 bond and were to be arraigned in municipal court today.
The homeowner told police her 16-year-old niece and two of her niece's friends were staying at the house but she did not know that they were having a party. She also told police that she had beer in the garage but did not give her niece permission to use it.
kubik@vindy.com