Indiana County’s Court of Common Pleas will be busy today with several plea and sentencing hearings. While many of the hearings will be for DUI or drug-related crimes, a few deal with other crimes.
One person expected to be in court today is Drew Alexander Bittner. The Ford City man was charged with fleeing or eluding an officer, DUI, and possession of drug paraphernalia for an incident on December 30th of last year. State Police said he was seen speeding along Wayne Avenue in White Township, and that he had an active arrest warrant out of Armstrong County. Police tried to pull him over near Hoss’s Steak and Sea House on Wayne Avenue, but he sped away and led police on a chase that police had to stop due to the high rates of speed. The pursuit was picked up in Homer City and after hitting a curb, Bittner pulled into a home on Greenville Road. He was taken into custody at that point. He pleaded guilty to the three charges faced, while summary traffic charges were withdrawn.
Also due in court today is a man charged with a stabbing in Blairsville in November of 2022. Billy Fridley of Blairsville pleaded guilty to aggravated assault with a deadly weapon and possessing an instrument of crime. Police say on November 16th, Fridley attacked someone with a knife near the intersection of North 4th and Oak Streets.
Also 33-year-old Jonathan Checca of Derry will be sentenced today. He pleaded guilty to fleeing police for leading state troopers on a chase that started in Blairsville and went to Routes 22 and 119. Troopers used a PIT maneuver to get him to stop.
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