District Court

The following people were charged and scheduled for preliminary hearings March 1 at District Judge Robert Ford's office in Leetsdale:

Warrant Issued

• David Fitzgerald, 48, of Ambridge, charged with retail theft, has a warrant issued for his arrest for failing to show for court. Leetsdale police reported that Fitzgerald put a bottle of Dom Perignon into his pants Dec. 24 at the Wine and Spirits store in Quaker Village Shopping Center and left the store with it. Police arrived and spoke to Fitzgerald, who admitted to taking the champagne. Police recovered the bottle.

Reduced

• Edward Hopkins, 39, of South Beaver Township, Beaver County, charged with making terroristic threats, simple assault, defiant trespass and harassment. Sewickley Heights police said a witness on Dec. 11 saw someone shoot a deer from a pickup on Waterworks Road, then watched 10 minutes later as Hopkins and another man got out of  a second vehicle, ran into the woods and dragged the deer out. The charges were reduced to disorderly conduct plus $100 in fines.

• Christopher Greene, 28, of Leetsdale, charged with possession of a small amount of marijuana. Leetsdale police reported officers were investigating a drunken-driving crash on Jan. 15 at 88 Broad St. when they came upon Greene with a group of males and Greene began to run away. Police said officers caught Greene in front of his house in the 200 block of Beaver Street and was found with a marijuana cigarette and rolling papers. The charges were reduced to disorderly conduct plus $300 in fines.

Postponed

• Len Alford, 34, of Pittsburgh, charged with driving under the influence of alcohol, trespass by vehicle, leaving the scene of an accident and failure to report an accident to police. Leetsdale police said a witness heard a loud noise Jan. 15 in the backyard at 8 Broad St. Police said the caller went outside and saw a Ford Explorer on its front bumper leaning against a retaining wall. The caller also saw Alford get out of the vehicle and walk toward Marroni’s Bar, where police found him swaying. Police said Alford refused a blood-alcohol test.

Waived to Court

• John Kohler, 51, of Ambridge, charged with driving under the influence of alcohol, fleeing or attempting to elude police, driving without registration, driving without insurance and driving without a license. Leetsdale police on Feb. 18 reported seeing a van driven by Kohler on Route 65 with no registration sticker. Police then learned the plate had expired and attempted to stop Kohler’s van. Police said Kohler led officers on a chase through Ambridge before eventually stopping on 14th Street. Kohler was pulled out of the van and handcuffed, and police found two empty beer cans inside. Kohler was taken to Heritage Valley Sewickley Hospital for blood-alcohol testing, then transported to the Coraopolis police lock up.

• Craig A. Moore, 26, of Glen Osborne, charged with two counts of reckless endangerment, one count of attempting to flee or elude police, driving with a suspended license, driving without inspection stickers, driving without insurance, driving with fraudulent plates, reckless driving, and failing to obey traffic signals. Edgeworth police reported that on Jan. 30 a car driven by Moore nearly struck a Leetsdale officer on another traffic stop. Police said officers pursued the car to Sewickley where it ran a traffic light, then turned left onto Walnut Street and right onto Bank Street in Sewickley. Police said Moore pulled over, got out of his car and ran. Police could not locate him, but knew who he was. The registration plate was traced to Moore, although it had been taken off a travel trailer, police said.