New Ken arrest nets heroin, guns
A Monday afternoon arrest netted police almost 500 packets of heroin and two guns.
New Kensington Detective Sgt. Sam Long said Terrill Houser, 25, of New Kensington was wanted on a warrant by North Strabane police.
“We saw him at Fueland at about 4 p.m.,” he said, referring to the gas station along 7th Street in New Kensington.
Houser had 495 packets of heroin in a pocket when arrested, police said.
Long said two pistols were found in a vehicle near Houser. One, a 9mm Ruger semi-automatic, was stolen last month in New Kensington.
Police are checking to see where the second handgun originated. It was a Glock Model 22 in .40-caliber, Long said.
Houser could be arraigned Tuesday in New Kensington.
He already is facing charges of drunken driving, fleeing and eluding, illegally carrying a handgun, reckless endangerment, shooting out a street light and other charges in Lower Burrell in May 2015.
He is also accused of illegally carrying a gun and two other charges on September 2014 in New Kensington.
According to court records, Houser was scheduled to have a June 8 non-jury trial in Allegheny County for allegedly carrying a gun illegally and drug charges in Wilkinsburg. He was arrested by police there in March 2015.
In 2010, he was sentenced to probation for six months for simple assault, harassment and disorderly conduct in Harrison.
Houser's arrest on Monday drew compliments from New Kensington police Chief Jim Klein.
“I really appreciate the job my department and state attorney general agents did,” Klein said. “There was great cooperation between the AGs and our officers.”
Houser's arrest was the third in three days by city police and state drug agents.
On Friday, police arrested two brothers found with 250 heroin packets in their Home Street house.
Scott Valetta, 28, and Rhyan A. Valetta, 26, were arraigned and ordered held for a preliminary hearing in lieu of $75,000 cash bond each.
Chuck Biedka is a Tribune-Review staff writer. Reach him at 724-226-4711 or cbiedka@tribweb.com.
