Sunday Assaults Send Two Men to County Jail

Man Stabbed Over Food

A 54-year-old man was charged with stabbing his roommate early Sunday evening after an argument over food.

Ortizluis Garbis Orlina, 54, of Willow Grove who was drunk at the time got into a fight over food with his roommate and then stabbed him in the head.

Upper Moreland police say that Orlina left a wound on the victims temple that measured close to two inches.

Police took Orlina, who is facing charges of simple assault as well as harassment and public drunkenness, into custody, he could not pay 10 percent of his $5,000 bail and was sent to County Jail.

No word on the condition of Orlina’s roommate who was stabbed.

Man Strikes Wife

Hours after the stabbing Upper Moreland police were called to the Blair Mill Village Apartment after they got word of an assault.

Christopher John Smykal, 27, who resides with his wife at the Blair Mill Village Apartments got into an argument with his wife and struck her in the head.

Upper Moreland police reported her left eye was bruised and she had a scratch on her face.

When police arrived Smykal was found on a patio highly intoxicated and with a wound on his right arm.

He was arrested and charged with simple assault, harassment and public drunkenness.

Smykal could not post his $1,000 cash bail and was taken to County Jail.

Tom Sofield (tsofield@buxmontnews.com)
Online Editor

An Upper Moreland police officer and a township official survey a tree limb that fell into the road during this mornings high winds. The limb blocked Newton Road near Warminster Road in Upper Moreland shortly after 11 a.m. (Tom Sofield)

Woman Flags Down Cops; Arrested for Outstanding Warrants and Drugs

A young woman who flagged down an Upper Moreland police officer, then asked for a ride to nearby Horsham was taken into custody Monday, after police discovered she had marijuana and warrants out for her arrest.

Jennifer Newkirk, 25, of Philadelphia waved down a passing Upper Moreland police cruiser and asked the officer for a ride, when the officer did a routine background check on Newkirk the outstanding warrants from Lebanon County, Pa. came up and she was taken into custody and charged with disorderly conduct.

The disorderly conduct charge stems from when Upper Moreland police who were searching Newkirk found a small amount of pot on her.

Upper Moreland police say the incident happen on York Road.

Tom Sofield (tsofield@buxmontnews.com)
Online Editor

Teen Charged in Elderly Woman’s Death

Location of accident (Tom Sofield)

The 17-year-old driver, who lost control of his VW and struck an elderly woman and then a business in Upper Moreland on October 12, was charged as a juvenile today with homicide by vehicle and other related offenses.

Montgomery County District Attorney Risa Vetri Ferman said that the 17-year-old was drifting with his car when he lost control and struck the woman, active 81-year-old Zita Egitto.

Drifting is when a driver pulls the emergency break and turns quickly which causes the car for a moment travel sideways the driver than exits the maneuver at a high rate of seeped. Drifting became more popular after it was shown to North American audiences in The Fast and Furious: Tokyo Drift, drifting is a popular motor sport in Southern California.

The October 12 crash happened as the teen was driving to Upper Moreland High School after attending classes at a nearby tech school when the lost control of his car trying to drift from York Road onto Reed Street.

Zita Egitto

Egitto just happened to be turning the corner of Reed Street when the teen’s out of control car jumped the curb, propeling the woman onto the porch, then knocking down a sign and the car came to rest against the porch of the Center for Employment Management.

Today officials announced car the teen was driving, a VW, was going almost 80 m.p.h. when the driver lost control and struck the woman.

Police told media the boy was taken into custody without incident Wednesday morning and is being held in Montgomery County.

Previous Stories:

Woman Struck by Car in Upper Moreland Last Week has Died

Car Slams Into Upper Moreland House; Woman Critical

Tom Sofield (tsofield@buxmontnews.com)
Online Editor

Woman Struck by Car in Upper Moreland Last Week has Died

UPDATE 10/27: The 17-year-old driver was charged in the crash.

The widowed active 81-year-old woman who was struck by a 17-year-old who lost control of his VW at York Road and Reed Street in Upper Moreland last Tuesday passed away three days after sustaining injuries after being struck.

Zita C. Egitto a resident of the Willow Grove section of Upper Moreland for over 50 years was walking on the sidewalk when a blue VW driven by a 17-year-old male jumped the curb throwing her up onto the porch of the Center for Employment Management.

The driver of the car was headed to Upper Moreland High School after finishing morning classes at a local tech school.

The elderly woman’s obituary states she was born in Dayton, Ohio and moved to Philadelphia with her family at the age of 13 attended St. Hubert’s High School for Girls and graduated from Immaculata College.

Egitto was employed for the Veterans Administration Hospital and also a teacher.

The active woman was involved with signing in Saint David’s Church choir, acting as a treasurer for two groups and also a volunteer at the Upper Moreland Public Library.

Egitto leaves behind four sons, 15 grandchildren, 2 great grandchildren and her 3 brothers.

Upper Moreland police report to local media a decision on charges for the 17-year-old will be announced in the next week.

Tom Sofield (tsofield@buxmontnews.com)
Online Editor

Traffic Lights Out at Blair Mill & Moreland



Thank you to one of our readers who sent us this photo of Upper Moreland police and fire crews working to get the traffic light at Moreland Avenue and Blair Mill Road working this morning. (Reader Submited)
If you see news happening and want to submit a photo or summery e-mail us at news@buxmontnews.com



Local Police Want to Charge for Unlocked Cars

Update 5:30 p.m.: FOX 29 is reporting this evening Upper Moreland police Chief Thomas Nestel withdrew his proposed fine for vehicle owners whose cars are found to be unlocked.

The chief said that he feels the message has been received by the community after the story made national headlines.

Nestel told FOX 29 that most of the e-mails and phone calls he received were opposing the proposed fine.

Original Story 8:16 a.m.: Police in Upper Moreland Township presented a proposal to the towns commissioners, lock your car doors or risk getting a ticket.

The proposed measure would have police possibly checking for locked cars in neighborhoods with high instances of vehicle theft.

If your vehicle was found to be unlocked police would give you a warning and if your vehicle was found again with its doors unlocked with-in a year of the warning you could be facing a $25 fine.

Upper Moreland police Chief Thomas Nestel reported that 75 percent of recent car thefts in the township were from vehicles that were unlocked.
The proposed measure would only affect cars that are parked on public streets and not in people’s driveways.

Upper Moreland Commissioner’s are seeking residents input on the proposed measure.

For the commissioner’s contact information visit http://www.uppermoreland.org/commissioners/.

Tom Sofield (tsofield@buxmontnews.com)
Online Editor

Car Slams Into Upper Moreland House; Woman Critical

Scene of the crash late Tuesday evening (Tom Sofield)

Thursday 10/21 Update on the woman

According to scanner reports an "elderly" Upper Moreland woman was thrown from the sidewalk onto the front porch of a business that occupied a former house after being hit by a blue VW driven by a 17-year-old male who lost control of the car while en route to Upper Moreland High School.

The older woman was rushed to Abington Memorial Hospital after sustaining serious injuries.

The 17-year-old was driving back to the high school after attending morning classes at a near-by tech school when around 10:30 he lost control making a left turn on to Reed Street from York Road.

He lost control of the vehicle, struck the woman and his vehicle came to rest against the porch of the Center for Employment Management.

In the crash the teen also took down a metal pole that held a sign for the business.

Police have not announced as of yet any charges for the teen driver.

Tom Sofield (tsofield@buxmontnews.com)
Online Editor

Willow Grove Woman Fakes Cancer

Alicia Tolton, 26, claimed to be suffering from breast and ovarian cancer, the Willow Grove woman planned to cash in on other peoples charity by faking her illness and collecting donations, the problem is she wasn’t sick.

Alicia Tolton (MySpace.com)

Upper Moreland police said that Tolton solicited donations from people on Facebook and even had an October 17 Beef & Beer Fund Raiser planned to help raise money for her “treatment.”

Tolton’s manipulative attempt to get cashed raked in close to $1,000 and two Eagles tickets before police stopped her.

The October 17 fund raising event titled “Wishes for Alicia”, which was set up by two unsuspecting good hearted local woman has been canceled.

Tolton used the money she had already received to pay her bill and drug debts.

The woman even convinced her father, a 35 year member of the Willow Grove Fire Company, that she was stricken with cancer.

She manipulated people by presenting them with fake bills and documents from the Fox Chase Cancer Center.

On her Myspace page Tolton list her occupation as a 911 dispatcher.

Tolton has been charged with theft, forgery, tampering with records and is being held in Montgomery County jail on $25,000 bail.

 Tom Sofield (tsofield@buxmontnews.com)

Online Editor

Pictures from the Storm

DRENCHED

Police closed Byberry Road near Pioneer Road in Upper Moreland early Friday morning due to road flooding. (Tom Sofield)

We are live blogging the storm...click here to read...

A tree limb that fell along Second Street Pike in Upper Southampton Thursday afternoon as the storm began to intensify. (Tom Sofield)

More photos added at 10:45 a.m.

Crash Blocks Traffic on Moreland Road

EMT's, Upper Moreland & Abington police respond to a vehicle accident along East Moreland Road near Division Avenue on the Upper Moreland and Abington township lines. Scanner reports indicate injuries were minor. (Tom Sofield)

Upper Moreland Board Gives Sonic 30 More Days

Employees from the Sonic fast food restaurant on the corner of Mill and Easton Roads went before the Upper Moreland Board of Commissioners to ask for a 30 day extension to their occupancy permit.

The board approved the extension 5 – 1.

One of the reasons the restaurant only has a temporary occupancy permit is due to the fact that they are still working with the PA Turnpike Commission to finalize a lease agreement for the corner property. Another reason is because once the lease is finalized the restaurant will be able to fully comply with Upper Moreland’s storm water management agreement.

Sonic has completed over $100,000 of road improvements at the intersection of Mill and Easton Roads.

Tom Sofield (tsofield@buxmontnews.com)
Online Editor

Local Fire Department wins FEMA grant

As the number of new volunteer firefighters drops nationwide, the Willow Grove Fire Department has received a grant worth over $102,000 that will help recruit new members.

File Photo

The Staffing for Adequate Fire and Emergency Response Grant (SAFER) comes from FEMA and is meant to help local fire departments to recruit and retain firefighters.

The grant money will go toward buying advertisements and making recruiting videos.

Last year the department responded to 773 calls and this year alone has already responded to 599 calls.

The Willow Grove Fire Department has 54 volunteers and six paid full time firefighters which are based out of two stations that cover Upper Moreland Township. The main fire station is located near Davisville Road and 611, the smaller support station is located near Davisville Road and County Line Road.

Tom Sofield (tsofield@buxmontnews.com)
Staff Writer

Happy Labor Day!

A quiet Labor Day on York Rd. looking toward Upper Moreland (Tom Sofield)