This is the newspaper article....they've got some stuff wrong, that only kids know, but whatever...
EAST STROUDSBURG — Three teenagers are in jail in connection with Friday night's baseball bat attack on Monroe County Conservation District Manager Craig Todd and East Stroudsburg Mayor Armand Martinelli.
As of Wednesday evening, police had not arrested anyone on charges related to actually swinging the bat, violence which was apparently precipitated by a dispute between two teen-agers that had been going on all day.
John Shameek Garcia, Ricardo Jamal "Pablo" White and Owen Constantine McFarlane, all 18 and residents of Penn Estates, were arraigned Wednesday before Magisterial District Judge Michael Muth, who called their actions "cowardly."
"You should be ashamed and embarrassed," Muth told them.
White and McFarlane, who were arraigned together after Garcia, cried as their tearful families hugged them and told them to be strong before police led them from the courtroom.
"They're evil," White told his mother, referring to Stroud Area Regional Police. "They've been toying with me."
When Detective Douglas Knowles put his hand on White's arm to lead him away, White at first refused to move, saying, "Please, sir, I'm talking to my mother."
Knowles dragged him away, saying, "You're not telling me what to do," as White's mother asked the detective not to use such force on her son.
Garcia, White and McFarlane, along with six other young men, went to Todd's home in three cars to settle a dispute that had been brewing all day with Todd's son, police said.
Police affidavits give the following account of what happened that day:
An argument began Friday afternoon between two boys: Todd's son, a student at East Stroudsburg High School - South, and a Stroudsburg High School student. The two had an altercation at a soccer game, with the Stroudsburg student telling Todd's son that "they would take care of this later."
Friday night at the Stroudsburg High football game, the two were involved in another altercation, which was broken up by the approach of police officers.
The two continued the fight through cell phone conversations. At one point, Todd's son told the Stroudsburg student that he "had his boys together," and that if that student "wanted to settle this," he should come to Todd's house, police affidavits said.
The boy in the dispute, another juvenile and a young man named Arturo Santana were in one car behind Stroudsburg High School at the time the conversation with Todd's son took place. Santana called Garcia, who arrived in a second car with another juvenile.
Shortly after Garcia arrived, a third car with four young men in it, including McFarlane and White, showed up. The four got out of the car and began accosting the group in the first car, until being told by Garcia that these were not the people they had a problem with.
The three cars were driven to the Todd home on Stemple Street in East Stroudsburg. Craig Todd met the group outside and told them to leave his property, at which point he was struck in the head with the bat. Martinelli, his neighbor, rushed to help and was struck in the arm.
Police did not indicate who they believe swung the bat, although the initial report stated it was a single individual.
Todd and Martinelli were both hospitalized, but are now at home recuperating.
Garcia and White have no prior criminal history, while McFarlane has a juvenile record and was on probation from another offense when the attack occurred, police said.
All three face charges of criminal conspiracy and assault. Garcia also was charged with criminal solicitation, apparently for making the call that summoned McFarlane, White and the two others, who are identified in the police report only as "Jeff" and "Melvin."
Garcia, who said he is a Stroudsburg High School student with a B average and a part-time job in Bangor, was the only one of the three defendants represented by a lawyer. Attorney Thomas Sundmaker asked Muth to set an unsecured bail amount for Garcia, which would have meant his client wouldn't have to put up any money to stay out of jail as long as he showed up for his preliminary hearing.
"I don't trust you," Muth told Garcia. "You're 18 and facing significant time in state prison if convicted of any of these charges. You have a big incentive to be a flight risk."
Muth set Garcia's bail at $20,000 secured, meaning Garcia will remain in Monroe County Correctional Facility, at least until his preliminary hearing, unless he can post that amount beforehand.
The judge showed no more leniency to the other two defendants. White, who no longer attends school and is unemployed, received a $40,000 secured bail. Detective Knowles said White had "not been very cooperative."
McFarlane, a Shawnee Academy student with a part-time job, received a $50,000 secured bail.
The preliminary hearings for Garcia, White and McFarlane are set for Tuesday, Oct. 24, at 9:30 a.m. before Muth.
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