January 16, 2012
By Ed Lewis, TimesLeader.com
WHITE HAVEN – Two men are facing drunken-driving charges after they allegedly killed a deer on private property.
Police and the Pennsylvania Game Commission charged Sean P. White, 22, of Spruce Street, Mountain Top, and John Daniel Titus Jr., 22, of Peatmoss Road, White Haven, with driving under the influence, unlawful killing of game, unlawful killing game from vehicle, unlawful use of lights while hunting, unlawful use of lights to search for game, possessing loaded firearms in a vehicle, and killing game near a private residence. Titus was further charged with driving a vehicle with an open bottle of liquor.
The charges were filed Thursday with District Judge Gerald Feissner in Freeland and mailed to White and Titus.
According to the criminal complaints:
A resident of Barry’s Road reported at 12:50 a.m. on Dec. 20 that he heard a gunshot and believed people were hunting deer on his farm.
Police stopped a 1996 Jeep Cherokee driven by Titus on Barry’s Road. Titus was arrested and driven to the White Haven Police Department. White was permitted to leave in Titus’ Jeep.
When police transported Titus to a hospital for a blood test an hour later, they passed Barry’s Road noticing brake lights in the area where Titus was stopped.
Police stopped the vehicle that was operated by White.
White was arrested on evidence of drunken driving, the criminal complaint says.
After Titus and White submitted to blood tests at the hospital, they were given a ride to White’s residence in Mountain Top.
Police returned to Barry’s Road and found several guns on the ground where White had been stopped earlier.
Surveillance was set up in the area the next morning as police observed White returning to Barry’s Road driving Titus’ Jeep. White got out of the Jeep and picked up the rifle, the complaint says.
Authorities said Titus and White admitted to killing a deer for the purpose to eating it, and using the Jeep’s headlights and a flashlight to locate deer in the field.
A wildlife officer found a dead deer in the field where the two men were arrested.
Preliminary hearings are scheduled on Feb. 15.