Two accused of vandalizing vehicles in Mahanoy
MAHANOY CITY – Two people are accused of vandalizing vehicles on Mahanoy City’s east end last month.
Charges were filed Jan. 31 by Mahanoy City Patrolman Derek Weicikosky against Thomas Whah, 18, and Jackie Bodnar, 19, both of 1228 East Centre Street for the Jan. 16 incident.
In his criminal complaint, Weicikosky said police were called to the Trac 6 gas station for a report of multiple people wearing ski masks, armed with knives, destroying vehicles.
When police arrived, no one was around, but the county communications center said the victims were at the Cocoa Hut convenience store downtown.
There, police spoke to a group of witnesses who said a group of males approached them, allegedly with knives in a threatening manner, and did damage to two of their vehicles.
One of the males was identified as a juvenile and they punched the left side mirror of one vehicle, and damaging it by kicking it.
According to an estimate from the victim, that juvenile caused $2,061.37 in damage to the vehicle.
Another victim said that one of the males threw a brick through their windshield. The actor was identified as Whah and, when police made contact with the group a few days later, Whah said he did damage that victim’s windshield.
Dashcam footage from an off-duty state trooper’s personal vehicle showed the group — Whah, Bodnar, and the juvenile — chasing the victim’s vehicles westbound on East Centre Street. The victim turned south onto South 12th Street to escape, at which point Bodnar through a brick at the fleeing vehicle.
Both Bodnar and Whah are facing conspiracy to commit criminal mischief and disorderly conduct charges. Preliminary hearings for both are scheduled for Feb. 23 in Shenandoah.
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