New Castle hostage situation yields suspects in shootings

Staff report

NEW CASTLE, Pa.

A Thursday night home invasion in Union Township that resulted in critical shooting injuries to two New Castle men was followed by a hostage situation Friday night on Pollock Avenue involving the two males suspected in Thursday’s shootings.

In the end, Paul Mock, 24, and DeAndre McQueen, 16, both of Detroit, surrendered to police and were charged with a host of crimes in the two-night spree.

The Pennsylvania State Police investigation of the shootings in a duplex on Sunny Avenue led them to 1208 Pollock Ave., also in the township, around 4 p.m. Saturday to set up surveillance, said Lt. Eric Hermick.

Soon after, Mock and McQueen took children, age 5 months and 3 years, hostage inside the residence, where they barricaded themselves for two hours.

They were armed with an AK-47 assault rifle and other weapons, police said. The children belonged to the girlfriend of one of the males, police said.

Police tried without success to talk the suspects out of the home until 6:30, when text messages succeeded in bringing them out without incident. Police received assistance from the children’s mother, Hermick said.

McQueen is charged with attempted homicide, robbery, burglary and other crimes.

Mock is charged with robbery, burglary and other offenses, but not attempted homicide.

The shooting victims in Thursday’s home invasion are Brent Thomas Bissett, 20, and Corey Johnathan Coblentz, 18, both of High Street.

A 17-year-old also was pistol-whipped during the 9:55 p.m. invasion, which occurred when two men knocked on the door of the downstairs apartment, then showed guns and forced their way in, police said.

All three victims were in that apartment. One of the suspects went to the upstairs apartment and demanded money, but after the shooting downstairs, both suspects fled.

No one in the upstairs apartment was hurt. Bissett and Coblentz remained in critical condition Friday night in UPMC Presbyterian Hospital in Pittsburgh.