State police have charged two men from Allegheny County following an incident Sunday at a White Township car wash.
Troopers say they were dispatched to Wash Werkz along Oakland Avenue around 4:15 p.m. for reports of a disturbance involving several men. Upon arrival, troopers learned that two men, later identified as 21-year-old Gerald Drew Jeffries III and 26-year-old Rashaun Dru Delige, both of White Oak, approached an unnamed man as he was washing his car.
Police say the man backed away from Jeffries and Delige as they allegedly had a baseball bat and pistol. One also was said to have worn a full-face mask. Troopers were then contacted by a nearby customer who heard the incident and told them she “feared for her life.” They arrived shortly after and arrested both men without incident.
Troopers discovered through surveillance footage that Jeffries discarded a 9mm pistol under his car while police arrived on scene. They recovered it and found one round in the chamber and 21 rounds in the magazine. Troopers also noticed a strong smell of marijuana as they approached the car.
The car was towed from the scene and police obtained a search warrant for it. They found a white-and-black Vexum baseball bat near the driver’s side door and seat, along with a glass jar containing marijuana, additional marijuana, and a separate, loaded 9mm pistol that was found under the driver’s seat.
Jeffries and Delige were arraigned in front of District Judge Susanne Steffee on felony charges of carrying firearms without a permit or license and terroristic threats. They also face misdemeanor counts of disorderly conduct, possession of a weapon and possession of a small amount of marijuana.
Both are lodged in Indiana County Jail in lieu of $75,000 cash bail. A preliminary hearing is scheduled for April 11th at 9:45 a.m.
Below is the news release from the Pennsylvania State Police:
For immediate release
April 5, 2023
Two Men Arrested After Threatening Man at Car Wash,
Causing Serious Alarm to Patrons
White Township, PA – Two men were arrested Sunday after troopers were dispatched to an Indiana County car wash for a disturbance among several males that involved a handgun and a baseball bat.
Upon investigation, Gerald Drew Jeffries III, 21, and Rashaun Dru Delige, 26, both of White Oak, PA, were each charged with felony counts of Firearms not to be Carried without a License and Terroristic Threats as well as misdemeanor counts of Disorderly Conduct, Possession of a Weapon, and Possession of a Small Amount of Marijuana.
Jeffries and Delige were arraigned before Magisterial District Judge Susanne V. Steffee and were each remanded to the Indiana County Jail in lieu of $75,000 monetary bail.
On April 2, 2023 at approximately 4:51 p.m., members of the Troop A, Indiana Patrol and Criminal Investigation Units were dispatched to a disturbance involving several men at Wash Werkz, 2268 Oakland Avenue, White Township and in which a handgun and a baseball bat were involved.
Troopers were advised that one of the men was wielding a baseball bat and another man was wearing a full-face mask and was in possession of a pistol.
Upon arrival and with their patrol units’ emergency lighting activated, troopers intercepted a blue 2014 Chevrolet Cruze as it was exiting a car wash bay. Verbal commands were given at which time the driver and the front seat passenger, later identified as Jeffries and Delige, respectively, were detained without incident.
Troopers then learned that the victim, an adult male, was confronted by two unknown males, later identified as Jeffries and Delige, as the victim was washing his car in a car wash bay. As the victim was approached by the two men, the victim continued to walk backward away from them as they were reported to be wielding a baseball bat and a pistol.
At the time of this confrontation, excessive yelling was overheard by at least one car wash patron and the two suspects were reported to have the hoods of their clothing pulled up and the man with the pistol was reported to have been wearing a full-face mask.
A patron of the car wash, upon witnessing this altercation, advised troopers that she was in fear for her life and subsequently fled the property.
The incident was also captured on surveillance video, which showed Delige occupying the front passenger seat of the Chevrolet Cruze as he opened the car door and discarded a pistol on the ground under the vehicle as troopers were arriving on-scene.
Upon inspecting the scene, troopers located a loaded, FN 509 9mm pistol under the Chevrolet Cruze. The pistol was found to have one round in the chamber and 21 rounds in the magazine. Troopers also detected a very strong odor of marijuana emanating from within the Chevrolet Cruze and observed numerous marijuana blunts in plain view in the center console.
The Chevrolet Cruze was then towed from the scene and, upon execution of a search warrant, was found to contain: a white and black Vexum baseball bat located by the driver’s side door and seat, a glass jar containing marijuana, additional marijuana, and a loaded, Taurus G3C 9mm pistol. The pistol, which was found to have a round in the chamber and 11 rounds in the magazine, was located directly under the driver’s seat.
Jeffries and Delige were each determined to not possess a valid License to Carry Firearms.
A preliminary hearing is scheduled for April 11 at 9:45 a.m.
For more information on the Pennsylvania State Police, visit psp.pa.gov.
Reference CAD Number: PA2023-420165; Investigating Officer: Tpr. Garrett Glasser
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