Cops, Courts & Fire -Bristol Borough
Newtown Woman Captured by U.S. Marshals Arraigned for Intentionally Striking Victim with SUV
Laurie Gardner, the 32 year-old woman the U.S Marshals Violent Crimes Task Force took into custody was formally arraigned on Friday accused of trying to run over a Bristol woman in the early morning hours of April 26, last year.
District Judge David J. Chichilitti arraigned Gardner on multiple counts of aggravated assault, simple assault and related offenses in connection with last year’s alleged rage attack.
According to Bristol authorities, Gardner fled the area when she was alerted, allegedly by a social media post on a local’s personal page, that the warrant for her arrest had been filed.
Law enforcement sources not authorized to speak to the media told Lower Bucks Source that on two separate occasions, investigators discovered where Gardner was hiding. The most recent instance occurred in August of last year, but they were unable to execute her arrest.
According to the April probable cause filed by Sgt Pete Faight, he was dispatched to Phinny MaGee’s Pub located at 1400 Farragut Avenue after closing time for a report that two women were fighting outside of the establishment. As Gardner left with a male passenger she attempted to run down the victim in a dark colored SUV.
Credit: Submitted
Witnesses provided descriptions of Gardner – 5’6″ tall, 160 pounds, tattoos on her arms, brown hair and wearing a tee shirt. The male was described as 5’5″ tall, 200 lbs, short, red hair, a long red beard and wearing a red shirt, according to the probable cause.
The vehicle fled east on Farragut Avenue to Green Lane and Route 13. Viper captured the SUV’s PA registration at 3:03 a.m. while traveling south on Route 13, police said.
The victim told police she was sitting on a steel bench secured to the sidewalk in front of the popular watering hole when Gardner drove onto the sidewalk in her direction. The victim was struck and her body was forced up against the brick wall of the establishment causing her head to slam against the concrete wall.
Subsequently she was transported to Jefferson Torresdale Hospital with a laceration to the head and a possible dislocated or broken hip, police said at the time of the incident.
A blue steel bench was left mangled in front of the local hot spot entrance door.
At 4:05 a.m., Sgt. Faight was notified by Ofc. Adams of the Bristol Township Police Department that the black SUV was located at 1717 Bath Road Apt K-6 and spoke to the male owner of the vehicle. With the man, according to police, was an unidentified female. The female, tattooed on her face and arms refused to cooperate and made the officers leave.
Lieutenant Elifa Soto arrived on scene and observed vehicle damage to the front driver side bumper of a black Jeep bearing PA registration MLM-1457.
About four weeks later, Sgt. Faight made contact via phone with the victim. The purpose was to check on her condition after the assault. The victim stated that she has 10 staples in her head and a fractured hip from being struck. She was hospitalized and treated for those injuries over several days.
Days later the victim met with investigators for a photo array in which she picked out Gardner’s photo.
On Thursday, July 7, 2025, Lt. Soto received two receipts from Phinny Magee’s Pub. The cost of the bench was $502.43 and the cost of installation was $300.00
Chichilitti set Gardner’s bail at 10 percent of $500,000.00 with a court date scheduled for Jan 21.
Credit: U.S. Marshals Service
Bristol Borough Fire Chief Herb Slack on Tuesday morning released the following statement on last nights Dorrance Street Fire.
It’s only been edited for style:
Credit: Submitted
Credit: Joe Nelson
Cops
Emergency Crews Prepare for Incoming Blizzard as Lower Bucks Municipalities Declare Storm Plans
Lower Bucks municipalities have declared disaster/snow emergencies in advance of the expected snow storm that the National Weather Service says will dump anywhere between 14 to 18 inches on the area.
A winter storm warning is still in effect from Sunday, Feb 22 to Monday, Feb 23.
Each municipality has its own link. For more information and updates, please click on their associated link.
Bensalem Township – Disaster Emergency declared immediately for the pending snow storm. Click here to see more details.
Bristol Borough – Snow information/requirements have been posted on their website. Click here to see the details.
Bristol Township – Snow Emergency effective 12 p.m. Sunday, Feb. 22, 2026 through 12 a.m. Tuesday, Feb. 24, 2026. Click here to see more details.
Falls Township – Snow Emergency starts Sunday, Feb. 22 at 6 p.m. and expires on Tuesday, Feb. 24 at 6 a.m. Click here for details.
Langhorne Borough – Snow Emergency starts Sunday, Feb. 22 at noon until Tuesday, Feb. 24 at 10 a.m. No parking. Click here for details.
Lower Makefield Township – Snow information has been posted on Meta. Click here to see the details.
Middletown Township – Snow Emergency is in effect from Sunday, Feb. 22 at 12 p.m. to Monday, Feb. 23 at 12 p.m. . Click here to see details.
Morrisville Borough – Snow Emergency is in effect from Sunday, Feb. 22 at 5 p.m. to Monday, Feb. 23 at 5 p.m. Click here to see the details.
Newtown Township – A Snow Emergency is in effect from 4 p.m. on Sunday, Feb. 22, 2026 until 4 p.m. on Monday, Feb. 23, 2026. Click here to see the details.
Penndel Borough – Snow Emergency has been declared from 12 p.m. on Sunday, February 22, 2026, through 12 p.m. on Monday, February 23, 2026. Click here for more details and click here for more on the ordinance.
Tullytown Borough – Snow Emergency proclamation in effect from Sunday Feb. 22 – 6 p.m. to Monday Feb. 23 – 6 p.m. Click here to see more details.
Warminster Township – Disaster Emergency has been declared for the incoming snow storm, effective Sunday Feb. 22, 2026 at 12 p.m. through Tuesday, Feb. 24,2026 at 12 p.m.. Click here to see the details and click here to see the declaration from Township Manager Tom Scott.
Yardley Borough – Snow Emergency proclamation in effect from Sunday Feb. 22 – 4 p.m. to Monday Feb. 23 – 4 p.m. . Click here to see the details. and click here to see declaration/other information from Mayor Caroline Thompson.
The primary concern is safety. Take care of yourselves and check on neighbors and those who may be vulnerable.
Please stay safe, take all necessary precautions, and keep your devices charged.
Click here for updates from the National Weather Service
Click here for PECO’s outage map.
Cops, Courts & Fire -Bristol Borough
Cops: Bristol Man Charged with Robbery; Suspect Identified Via Sports Jacket Seen on Video During Altercation
A Bristol Borough man was taken into custody and jailed Friday night accused of robbery, simple assault, criminal mischief and disorderly conduct stemming from a Jan. 26 incident at the Sunoco Gas Station on Bath Road and Rt 13.
According to the affidavit of probable cause, Bristol Borough Police were dispatched to the gas station/convenience store at 10:45 p.m by 911 after the assault/robbery was called in by gas station staff.
Responding police officers met with the employee who said two men entered the store and one attempted to rob him, assaulted him, damaged the store and then fled on foot. The employee said one of the two suspects reached through the safety glass that is usually in place during night hours, punching him in the face and neck area several times and breaking his glasses, the criminal complaint alleges.
Officers noted, in the probable cause, visible bruising on the employee’s face from the robbery assault. In addition, there were a number of store items damaged.
The victim told police the direction the suspects fled which officers canvassed and came up empty in the suspect search.
On Jan 27 officers reviewed gas station security video footage (no audio) showing, according to the probable cause, Mark Rodriguez (who police had yet to identify) getting into an argument with the victim, reaching underneath the security window, pulling it up and pummeling the victim.
The unidentified man with Rodriguez remained nearby but was on his cell phone, police said, at the time of the assault and was wearing a Bristol High School sports jacket.
Bristol Borough Police identified the owner of the jacket (a minor) with help from school district officials. The minor provided a written statement to police identifying a family member of his/hers (Rodriguez) as the suspect who assaulted the Sunoco Gas Station employee and that he was present for the altercation.
The written statement was facilitated by Bristol Borough Middle/High School Lead Teacher Mike Poploskie, and sent via email to lead investigator/officer Chris Tehan. Subsequently police were able to confirm Rodriguez’s identity and that he lives on the 150 block of Otter Street.
About one week later, police met with the parents of the student who was present at the altercation in which the minor was interviewed by police.
The youngster provided police with a “voluntary” statement confirming his/her previous written statement and allowing police to have a warrant issued for Rodriguez’s arrest.
Rodriguez was arraigned by on-call District Judge Mark D. Douple last Friday on robbery and related counts. He set bail at 10 percent of $75,000.00 and remanded Rodriguez to Bucks County Jail until his next hearing date, currently set for Feb 25.
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