The interim police chief of Chippewa Township is warning the public not to believe what he describes as false information being circulated by Deanna Maria Romigh, the founder and administrator of “The News Alerts of Beaver County,” a Facebook group boasting 38,000 followers.
Interim Chief Eric Hermick told BeaverCountian.com late this evening that Romigh’s repeated false allegations are creating public alarm that is “putting our community at risk.”
Hermick took command of the Chippewa Police Department following last week’s retirement of longtime chief Clint Berchtold.
In posts to her group Tuesday night, Romigh alleged a connection between the Nov. 25 murder of 31-year-old Richard Jackson in Aliquippa and a search conducted by state police on Nov. 29 in Chippewa for a man who fled a traffic stop. Romigh also falsely told her followers that Jackson’s murderer was in custody.
Romigh told her 38,000 followers that she was talking directly to a police officer who informed her there was a cover-up going on.
“I’m confused … ” wrote BJ Wildes in response to Romigh’s post, “you’re saying this incident had something to do with the police chase from 376?”
“A police told me… yes and they covered it up to not fear the neighborhood,” wrote Romigh. “A good police, i meant.”
Hermick told BeaverCountian.com that Romigh is spouting nonsense and the public should stop believing information she is disseminating to the tens-of-thousands of people in her group.
“I talked to state police and there is no connection, there is no threat to Chippewa, there is no cover-up, she should not be believed,” Hermick said.
“She is causing the community to be alarmed unnecessarily and she is putting our community at risk. She needs to stop it right now.”
Romigh seemed unfazed with the statement by Hermick after it was first published by BeaverCountian.com, and instead lashed out at the reporting.
“He better hope that the two weren’t connected,” wrote Joe Spalivich in response to BeaverCountian.com’s reporting. Spalivich is another of the group’s administrators.
“Hes gonna regret this. I dont care. Lol,” responded Romigh. “Hes just mad that he lost some viewers for past few days now.”
Romigh later went on to tell her followers she is working on filing a lawsuit against BeaverCountian.com’s John Paul for defamation.
“He slandered me all for nothing,” wrote Romigh. “It get him nowhere but he got to be punished for this. So im on it.”
The Chippewa Police Department previously issued an official statement to its Facebook page on Nov. 30 also denying the individual being sought in their town by PSP was wanted for murder.
See Also:
– Chippewa Twp Police Issue Statement Denying Facebook Rumor Of A Murderer Loose In The Community
– Monaca Police Chief Says False News From Facebook Group Causing Unnecessary Alarm About A Kidnapping
