Indiana County Courts will be busy with several preliminary hearings today, including an Indiana man facing theft charges in separate incidents, and a Homer City man facing child endangerment and reckless endangerment
21-year-old Takeal Clemmons of Indiana faces numerous theft-related charges in three cases. In one case, he faces five counts each of Theft by unlawful taking, receiving stolen property and burglary for breaking into five Indiana Borough apartments and stealing several items while IUP students were on Easter Break in April. In a second case, he is charged with single counts of burglary, theft and receiving for a case in March and in a third case, he is charged with theft and unauthorized access to a device for an incident in February. Some of the stolen items included food, clothing, a laptop computer, and other electronic and small items.
Clemmons confessed to police that he broke into the apartments, but was unable to describe what happened, because he told police that he drank to give himself the courage to commit the crimes. He later attempted to recant his confession. He is currently in Indiana County Jail. His hearing is slated for 1:15 today in Judge Thomas Bianco’s Court.
Also, 43-year-old Lonnie Scott Lowndes will face Judge Thomas Bianco in Indiana County Court today for a preliminary hearing connected with an incident back in May of 2016. Lowdes is accused of abusing drugs in his home. One of his children told an investigator with Children and Youth Services that Lowndes used drugs in the home, and once was found passed out with the needle still in his arm. The child told investigators that he had stepped on heroin syringes and had handled other items of drug paraphernalia, along with people coming and going from the home every day, and of the children being hit with a belt buckle as a disciplinary measure.
Lowndes faces three counts of reckless endangerment, two counts of simple assault and summary harassment and one count of endangering the welfare of children. He’s been free on $2,500 unsecured bond.
