There is another case against homicide-by-vehicle suspect James Brown in the Indiana County Court system today, after District Judge Christopher Welch on Friday waived a theft case against Brown to Common Pleas Court.
Three misdemeanor charges were filed against Brown by State Police in Punxsutawney on March 13th. Since the crime occurred in Indiana County, the charges were filed within Welch’s jurisdiction.
In the homicide by vehicle case, Brown is accused of being at the wheel of a car that crashed into Pikel’s Top Tier Fuels last July, running over a gas pump and smashing into a building. The car and building burst into flames, trapping and killing 52-year-old Melissa Myers of Commodore, who was working at the gas station. Brown initially claimed another man, Michael White of Punxsutawney, was driving the car but later admitted to state police that he was driving and had taken heroin and smoked marijuana beforehand. He has filed omnibus pretrial motions asking for the suppression of evidence to be used against him at trial, for outright dismissal of the charges, and for immediate release from jail on nominal bond.
Brown also has two theft cases pending in Jefferson County Court, with trial scheduled to start in both cases on September 9th. He’s currently housed at the Jefferson County Jail.
