Morning Roundup: Duquesne home catches fire; police investigate West Mifflin toddler’s death
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Here are some of the latest news items from this morning, Thursday, March 28:
No injuries in Duquesne house fire
A house along Wool Street in Duquesne caught fire at about 3:30 a.m. Thursday, according to TribLive news partner WTAE.
There were no reported injuries.
The fire’s cause is under investigation.
Police investigating toddler’s death in West Mifflin
Allegheny County homicide detectives are investigating a 17-month-old boy’s death in West Mifflin.
West Mifflin police were dispatched to the 2600 block of Glenny Lane for reports of a 17-month-old boy that was unresponsive, according to county police.
The child was taken to an area hospital where he died. West Mifflin police requested assistance from the Allegheny County police department’s homicide unit and detectives launched an investigation.
The Allegheny County Medical Examiner’s office identified the boy as Ashton Hooper.
County police said there were no obvious signs of trauma in this case, but the investigation is ongoing pending further examination by the medical examiner’s office.
Allegheny County Council extends property tax deadlines
Allegheny County property owners will have some extra time to pay their property tax bills.
County Council on Wednesday extended the deadlines to submit real estate tax payments by 30 days. The discount deadline, where taxpayers are eligible for a 2% markdown, is April 30, and the face-value deadline is May 31, according to the county. The move was sponsored by Council President Pat Catena, D-Carnegie, and backed by Executive Sara Innamorato.
“We’re here to make lives easier wherever we can,” Treasurer Erica Rocchi Brusselars said. “Shifting these dates by a month will not negatively affect the county’s budget or ability to meet its obligations, so allowing more breathing room to our residents is the right thing to do.”
In the Alle-Kiski Valley, property owners in Springdale Township and Springdale Borough reported issues with receiving their bills in the mail.
People can pay online at www.AlleghenyCountyTreasurer.US and contact the Treasurer’s Office at 412-350-4100 with questions.
Pittsburgh man indicted on federal firearms investigation
Johavian Everett, 24, formerly of Mt. Oliver was indicted by a federal grand jury on a charge of violating a federal firearms law, according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Pittsburgh.
On Oct. 21, 2021, Everett knowingly possessed a firearm and ammunition as a convicted felon, according to the indictment. Federal law prohibits people convicted of a felony from possessing a firearm or ammunition.
A maximum sentence in the case could be up to 15 years in prison, a $250,000 fine or both, according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office.
The case was investigated by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and Pittsburgh police.
West Mifflin man pleads guilty to drug, firearm violations
A West Mifflin man pleaded guilty in federal court to federal drug and firearm charges, according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office in Pittsburgh.
Marcus Valenzi, 35, pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge David S. Cercone to one count of conspiracy to distribute and possess with intent to distribute fentanyl and one count of possession of a firearm by a convicted felon.
In connection with the plea, Valenzi was identified as a member of a drug trafficking organization operating within Western Pennsylvania during an investigation by federal and state authorities between August 2022 and November 2023, the U.S. Attorney’s Office said.
Federal search warrants were executed on the residences of the conspirators, and a Nov. 15 search of Valenzi’s residence turned up more than $16,000, multiple cellphones and xylazine, a substance used as a cutting agent for fentanyl, according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office.
A search of Valenzi’s phones showed communication with a drug customer seeking the return of his firearm. Valenzi, who had a prior felony conviction in Florida for robbery, replied he had thrown the gun in a river after the raids, the U.S. Attorney’s Office said.
Sentencing is scheduled for July 18. The maximum penalty for the drug conspiracy charge is up to 20 years in prison, up to a $1 million fine, or both. Maximum penalty for the firearm charge is up to 15 years in prison, a $250,000 fine, or both.