Traffic Incident Looked Like Something from 'COPS,' Judge Says

Magisterial District Judge Regis Welsh Jr. said the case before him Friday looked like something out of the TV show COPS.

When 20-year-old James Victor Celo entered the courtroom, cuffed and wearing a red Allegheny County Jail jumpsuit, he faced multiple charges from a July 24 incident that turned into a police chase through Hampton and Richland townships, according to court documents.

The Cheswick man was charged with four felony counts of aggravated assault, three misdemeanor counts of recklessly endangering another person, a felony count of fleeing or attempting to elude police, a misdemeanor count of escape and a summary charge of reckless driving.

Welsh sent the case to the Allegheny County Court of Common Pleas after three counts were withdrawn -- two aggravated assault charges and the one misdemeanor count of escape were dismissed.

Celo waived his preliminary hearing; a formal arraignment is set for Oct. 5.

The incident began about 12:30 a.m. July 24 when Hampton Township police were sent to the BP gas station at the corner of Duncan Avenue and Route 8/William Flinn Highway. A caller reported he was going there because someone in a silver Nissan Altima was chasing him, according to the police criminal complaint.

Police Officer David Mitchell stayed on Route 8.

"I observed two vehicles traveling southbound on William Flinn Highway in the area of Shoppers Plaza. The vehicles were traveling at a high rate of speed, and one appeared to be chasing the other," Mitchell wrote in the criminal complaint.

"They were not staying in a single lane of travel, and the chase car appeared to make attempts at passing and sideswiping the lead car," Mitchell's report continued.

Mitchell followed the vehicles, noting that the chase car was a silver Nissan Altima, the report said.

"The vehicles continued to travel at high rates of speed as I approached until we were near Anderson Drive," according to the criminal complaint.

"At this point the lead car slowed down, and the chase car was attempting to get around it in the oncoming lane as I approached. I pulled in front of the chase car and activated my emergency lights in an attempt to stop both vehicles."

At this time, the Altima accelerated and just missed striking my patrol unit as I swerved to the right to evade it," Mitchell wrote in his report.

"The operator then performed a U-turn in the middle of William Flinn at the crest of a hill and accelerated northbound on William Flinn away from me."

The officer turned on his siren, but the Altima did not stop, according to police documents.

The Hampton officer requested patrol units from Hampton, McCandless and Northern Regional police departments, the criminal complaint stated.

"The pursuit continued until Route 910 near Hardt Road where Northern Regional police deployed spike strips," the document said.

After the Nissan's tires were flattened from the spike strips, the driver jumped out and fled on foot, said police. Hampton and Northern Regional officers chased the man but were unable to locate him, the criminal complaint states.

Ross Township police assisted with a K-9 as well, court documents said.

"My patrol unit also incurred flat tires due to multiple sets of strips being deployed by multiple officers, and the location of the first set was not stated. I was unable to evade the strips due to deployment out of a blind bend," Mitchell stated in his report.

Leo's Automotive towed the Nissan and the police vehicle to the Hampton Police Department.

"The operator of the Altima left his wallet, with identification and cell phone, inside the vehicle, which matched the same last name of the owner of the vehicle," according to the report.

West Deer Police were asked to go to the Nissan owner's address.

"They did and advised that the owner told them that his son, James Celo, was the only one operating the vehicle this evening," said police.

Police also contacted William Wivell, the driver of the vehicle that was being chased, to ask what started the incident, said police.

Wivell told police he picked up a friend from down the street near Celo's residence and Celo began chasing them. He said that Celo is not fond of him, which is why he stayed down the street.

"He said that he observed Celo operating the Altima twice while being chased and said Celo chased him and the other occupants continuously until I intercepted him on William Flinn at Anderson Drive," the criminal complaint stated.

Wivell told police that "Celo attempted to crash into the vehicle he was operating multiple times," according to the criminal complaint.