Bank robbery, assaults, burglary top Southwestern Berks crime reports in January

by Steve Reinbrecht

A handful of serious crimes were reported in Southwestern Berks in January.

Someone in a mask robbed the Wells Fargo bank in Robesonia on Tuesday, Jan. 10.

A simple assault was reported about 8:15 p.m. Jan. 3, Tuesday, in the 100 block of West Penn Avenue in Wernersville.

A residential burglary was reported about 6:30 p.m. Monday, Jan. 30, in the first block of West Penn Avenue in Wernersville.

Western Berks Police Chief William Schlichter did not return several calls asking about those reports.

The county district attorney’s office reported an aggravated assault about 12:30 p.m. Thursday, Jan. 26 in the 500 block of Erich Street. No one from the DA’s office returned my calls.

But as usual, the 20,000 residents or so in Wernersville, Lower Heidelberg, South Heidelberg and Sinking Spring lived in relative peace and safety in January, measured by police reports and 9-1-1 calls. 

All together, police reported 46 crimes in the four municipalities in January, up from the 43 reported in December.

As usual, most of the violence appeared to be domestic.

In January, 9-1-1 calls for domestic problems were reported on Brownsville Road and East College and Penn avenues in Lower Heidelberg.

In Sinking Spring, domestic calls came from James Street, Penn and Woodrow avenues and Michigan and Oneida drives.

In South Heidelberg, domestic trouble was reported on Balthaser, Mountain Top and Golf roads and Longview drive.

In Wernersville, on Beckley and South Reber streets and West Penn Avenue.