Whitehall police reported an incident that started as a minor retail theft, by an individual at Walmart, and escalated into something much more serious, involving two other men. The incident was among those reported to Whithehall Township commissioners and Mayor Edward D. Hozza Jr., at the Feb. 10 comissioners' workshop meeting. The report, filed by Police Chief Linda Kulp, indicated the three men are now faced with numerous criminal offenses.

Walmart security personnel observed a male concealing several pocket knifes after removing the packaging. Township police were summoned and kept watch on the suspect. The officers observed the individual meet up with another man inside the Walmart, who then exited. Officers kept observation on the man inside the store, who then attempted to cash two fraudulent checks.

Officers outside detained the second male in a vehicle which had a third person in inside. Police found more fraudulent checks after searching the vehicle. All three men were cited for numerous criminal offenses.

Also during the month of Januaary, officers responded to a fight in the grocery area at the Walmart store. According to police, a family confronted their ex-landords, who had won a court hearing seeking to evict them. One of the persons in the group followed the landlords into a store aisle, pushing the woman and punching the male. Most of the indicent was caught on store video, police reported.

One female was cited for harassment and two counts of disorderly conduct.

Kulp also reported that juvenile from Coplay put on a gas mask and rang a doorbell at a home in the 3400 block of North Second Street, Whitehall, and yelled to the homeowner there was a gas problem, before fleeing. A neighbor saw the boy take off the gas mask and recognized him by his first name, according to police.

A Coplay police officer helped track down the juvenile, who admitted to the incident. The youth was cited with disorderly conduct.

A Montana sheriff's office requested help serving drug-related arrest warrants on two persons who recently moved back to Whitehall. The persons were arrested at their residence in the 3500 block of Park Street.

Police reported a robbery took place, when a man inside Whitehall Mini-Mart on Lehigh Street was approached by an individual asking for a ride to Giant Food. The request was granted due to the cold, but matters got hot when the passenger pulled a knife on the driver and forced him to go to three ATM machines, at which the driver was unsuccessful in attempts to make a withdrawal.

The individual then ordered the victim to go to Lowe's to make a minor purchase and retrieve some cash, again unsuccessfully. The victim was told to drive to nearby Whitehall High School grounds, where the suspect allegedly forced the victim out of his car and the suspect fled with the vehicle.

The victim's cellphone was left in the car. Police traced its location to Allentown, where Allentown Police attempted to stop the vehicle. The driver sped off and was involved in a major accident near the Eighth Street Bridge. The suspect had to be physically restrained. Charges were filed.

A female reported she was a passenger in her vehicle being driven by her ex-boyfriend. On arriving at the man's apartment, he told his former girlfriend to get out. When she refused, he allegedly pulled her out of the car, punching and kicking her. The young man's mother interceded and stopped the assault. The suspect was later found and cited for simple assault and harassment.

During the month, there were four assault investigations, seven burglaries and two robberies. Police patrol officers investigated 32 reportable crashes in January, issued 104 traffic citations, 16 parking tickets and 23 written warnings.