LOCUST GAP - A Girardville man was arraigned Wednesday on charges of hindering the apprehension of another person in Mount Carmel Township.
Robert T. Malia, 43, of 206 Ogden St., Girardville, was charged with hindering apprehension or prosecution, possession of drug paraphernalia and misbranding of a controlled substance during his arraignment before Magisterial District Judge Hugh A. Jones, of Mount Carmel. He was charged by Mount Carmel Township Police Officer Matthew Filarski following a traffic stop at 11:29 p.m., Nov. 23, at Marshall Street and Route 901.
During a routine traffic stop, Filarski discovered a summary warrant for Malia had been filed with Magisterial District Judge John Gembic of Shamokin. After advising Malia about the warrant, Filarski asked for permission to search the vehicle and found a woman, Melissa J. Ritzman, hiding underneath several bags in the back seat. She was ordered out of the vehicle and police determined Ritzman was wanted by the Northumberland County Sheriff's Department on a simple assault warrant.
Two bags containing alcohol prep pads, bath salt containers, burnt spoons coated in a white substance, syringes, packing papers and vials and seven Tylenol tablets wrapped for resale were found in the car.
Malia was released on $10,000 unsecured bail, and he is scheduled for a preliminary hearing before Jones on Jan. 4.
