By Ed Lewis
The Times Leader, Wilkes-Barre, Pa.
LARKSVILLE, Pa. — A Wilkes-Barre man and a Hanover Township woman were arrested on allegations they assaulted a Larksville police officer during a traffic stop Saturday night.
Police Sergeant Craig Cebrick suffered injuries to his head and torso during the fight in the parking lot of Citgo Express Food Mart on East State Street just before 8 p.m., according to court records.
Cebrick stopped a Chevrolet Malibu, driven by Kiyana Mae Daniely, 20, of South Regent Street, Hanover Township, for speeding, court records say.
When Daniely stopped, a passenger in her vehicle, Anwan Lavar Burns, 30, of East Chestnut Street, Wilkes-Barre, jumped out and began yelling, “I’m not doing this again so (expletive) you,” and “Not this time,” and allegedly lunged at Cebrick.
Cebrick fell backwards striking his head against the pavement
A communications radio was ripped away from Cebrick’s ballistic’s vest as he managed to hit an emergency activation button summoning assistance.
Burns allegedly choked and strangled Cebrick and also punched the officer multiple times in the head while attempting to disarm the police sergeant.
As Burns assaulted Cebrick, Daniely began kicking him in the chest and punched him in the head several times before backing away when a Good Samaritan began to stop the assault, court records say.
Burns ran away on foot as Cebrick managed to chase him through a drainage pipe under Route 11. Burns managed to elude capture during the chase.
Multiple police agencies searched the area as several officers went to Daniely’s residence where she was taken into custody.
Just before 3:30 p.m. Sunday, Burns was spotted in the area of the Turkey Hill store at Carey Avenue and West Division Street in Wilkes-Barre.
Wilkes-Barre police responded to the area and apprehended Burns during a foot chase along Solomon Creek, Carlisle, Waller and Brook streets.
Burns was arraigned by District Judge Thomas Malloy in Wilkes-Barre on 15 counts of reckless endangerment, three counts of aggravated assault, and one count each of disarming a law enforcement officer, evading arrest, flight to avoid apprehension, resisting arrest, simple assault and harassment related to the Larksville incident. Burns was also charged with flight to avoid apprehension, evading arrest, disorderly conduct and possession of a controlled substance.
Burns was also arraigned on charges of flight to avoid apprehension, endangering the welfare of children, fleeing or attempting to elude police, reckless endangerment and possession of a controlled substance filed by Hanover Township police on June 28.
Court records say President Judge Michael T. Vough issued bench warrants for Burns when he failed to appear for a court proceeding on two unrelated cases on Feb. 28. Those cases allege Burns fled state police during a vehicle chase in Forty Fort on Sept. 19, 2021, and felony drug trafficking offenses by the Pennsylvania Attorney General’s Office in July 2020.
Malloy jailed Burns at the Luzerne County Correctional Facility without bail deeming him a threat to the community and a flight risk.
Daniely was arraigned on five counts of reckless endangerment, three counts of aggravated assault, two counts each of simple assault and harassment, and one count each of fleeing or attempting to elude police and driving with a suspended license. She was jailed at the county correctional facility for lack of $50,000 bail.
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