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As some of you may be aware, a large number of vehicles were vandalized overnight on December 26, or very early the morning of December 27, in Aspinwall.  

Unconfirmed reports has the number of vehicles vandalized in excess of 40.  

It appears to be random vandalism and not burglaries.  Unconfirmed is that the method of breaking car windows is by baseball bat or pellet gun.  

If you saw anything last night or have any information, please contact Aspinwall Police at 412-781-3568.  

Please light your front and back porches and if you have a light on your garage in your alley - please light that too.  This may be a good deterrent. 

REMEMBER -If you ever see anything suspicious call 911 immediately.

**ANW ALERT**

Late Sunday evening a number of vehicles along Fourth Street, Fifth Street and Field Avenue had items stolen from them.  No forced entry was apparent, so these vehicles were left unlocked.  Items stolen include money, CDs and GPS systems.

Additionally, a home along Eastern Avenue was recently entered and it is believed that a purse was stolen.  Apparently the homeowner was only out for a short while and left the house unlocked.

Both of these incidents should reinforce that you should ALWAYS LOCK YOUR VEHICLE and ALWAYS SECURE YOUR HOME.  Even when you are home it is best to lock and secure screen doors during the warm summer months.

Just this past week Aspinwall Neighborhood Watch installed a TIP SHEET BOX next to the Police Station door at the Borough Building.  If you suspect anyone in either of these incidents, you can anonymously submit a name that will be turned over to the Aspinwall Police.  Soon ANW will be distributing Tip Sheets that will allow you to report any violations or suspicious activity to the Aspinwall Police.

Shaler Woman Fights Off Alleged Attacker

SHALER (KDKA) ―

Police are investigating an attempted attack in Shaler.

Jordan Truman, 23, was out for a late-night walk on Mount Royal Boulevard when a man she didn't recognize grabbed her from behind and threw her against a wall.

"I smacked him in the side of the head with my keys and I kneed him again and he shoved me and he threw me in a puddle," she told KDKA-TV.

By then the attacker pulled at her pants, tore her underwear and slammed her into a wall.

"I had blood all over my face and the swelling has actually gone down quite a bit thank God," she said. "I can't wear my contacts because my eyes are just bothering me."

Police have released a composite sketch of the man. He also has a distinctive tattoo on his left arm.

"He definitely had been drinking – I smelled alcohol on his breath," Truman said.

She says he was driving a dark-colored SUV.

Shaler Police would like to hear from anyone who has information about the suspect or his vehicle.

" WASHINGTON -- An E. coli outbreak possibly linked to tainted lettuce has sickened at least 19 people in Ohio, New York and Michigan, including students on at least two college campuses, prompting a recall throughout much of the country.Freshway Foods of Sidney, Ohio, said it was recalling romaine lettuce sold in 23 states and the District of Columbia because of a possible link to E. coli.Twelve of those sickened were hospitalized and three reported life-threatening symptoms, the Food and Drug Administration said. The federal Centers for Disease Control said it was looking at 10 other cases probably linked to the outbreak.College students at Ohio State in Columbus and Daemen College in Amherst, N.Y., are among those affected, according to local health departments in those states. Nine of the 10 confirmed cases in Michigan were in Washtenaw County, where the University of Michigan is located. It could not be determined immediately, however, whether that school was affected.The FDA is focusing its investigation on lettuce grown in Arizona as a possible source for the outbreak, according to two people who have been briefed by the agency. Donna Rosenbaum, director of the food safety advocacy group Safe Tables Our Priority and one of those briefed, said the agency held a phone call with public health advocates Thursday.Rosenbaum and other public health advocates have long been pushing for stronger food safety laws. The House passed a bill last year that would give the agency much more authority to police food production, but the Senate has not acted on it.Eric Olsen, director of food and consumer product safety at the Pew Health Group, says this recall shows the food safety system is broken and outdated."We are rushing around after people who have been sick to try and find out what the cause was," he said.The New York state Public Health Laboratory in Albany discovered the contamination in a bag of Freshway Foods shredded romaine lettuce on Wednesday. The bag of lettuce came from a processing facility that was also linked to the illnesses, the FDA said. The agency would not release the name of that facility or its location but said an investigation was under way.E. coli infection can cause mild diarrhea or more severe complications, including kidney damage. The three patients with life-threatening symptoms were diagnosed with hemolytic uremic syndrome, which can cause bleeding in the brain or kidneys.Freshway Foods said the lettuce was sold to wholesalers, food service outlets, in-store salad bars and delis in Alabama, Connecticut, District of Columbia, Florida, Georgia, Illinois, Indiana, Kansas, Kentucky, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Missouri, New Jersey, New York, North Carolina, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, South Carolina, Tennessee, Virginia, West Virginia and Wisconsin.The affected lettuce has a "best if used by" date of May 12 or earlier. The recall also affects "grab and go" salads sold at Kroger, Giant Eagle, Ingles Markets and Marsh grocery stores".

Police probing a string of area burglaries want to talk to two men involved in an Aspinwall car chase, an unrelated burglary and access device fraud in Oakmont.

After a March 25 chase, Aspinwall police arrested Cory Harrigan, 25, of Blawnox and Shawn Lenart, 29, of Pittsburgh on warrants for burglary, failure to appear in court and trespassing.

The next day Oakmont police charged the same men with five counts of access device fraud, burglary, conspiracy, receiving stolen property and forgery.

Harrigan and Lenart allegedly took credit cards from a wallet inside a car parked in a garage along 10th Street, Oakmont.

Police believe the men or people they know have information about five or more burglaries in Oakmont, O'Hara, Aspinwall and elsewhere.

In Oakmont, burglars took cash, credit cards and a iPod from a car parked inside a garage early last month. Later, a burglary attempt was interrupted by a resident and witnesses saw the suspects in a Pontiac G-6 with a white front license plate with red writing.

"Our officers did a really good job of putting together the pieces of the puzzle," Oakmont police Chief David DiSanti Sr. said Friday.

Although good surveillance photos were circulated, police didn't get any calls, he said.

"Then, Officer Joseph Cattani was able to stop a G-6 for a traffic matter. He was able to identify the driver — Harrigan — and the passenger, who turned out to be Lenart, gave him a false ID," the chief said.

Lenart later was charged with that offense.

DiSanti said Lenart was identified with the help of Allegheny County detectives who also helped with the credit card case.

"When they went in to arrest Harrigan at Blawnox, they found marijuana growing in the apartment," DiSanti said.

Harrigan was subsequently charged with drug possession with intent to deliver and two related charges.

DiSanti said the men are being held in the county jail in lieu of bond on the Oakmont charges.

A preliminary hearing is scheduled for Monday.

County police weren't available for comment because they were attending memorial services for three Pittsburgh police officers slain a year ago this week.