ORWIGSBURG — Melissa M. Ruch, the West Penn Township police sergeant who allegedly lied about being assaulted in September 2015 on Route 309, is headed to Schuylkill County Court after waiving her right to a preliminary hearing Tuesday on four charges stemming from the incident.
Ruch, 41, of New Ringgold, faces two counts of false reports to law enforcement and one each of false alarm to agency and furnishing authorities with false information.
Magisterial District Judge James R. Ferrier, who was to have presided over the hearing, instead bound over the charges for court. He allowed Ruch to remain free on $2,500 unsecured bail pending further court action.
Although Ruch waived her right to the hearing, her lawyer, Frederick J. Fanelli, Pottsville, said she is not conceding anything at this stage.
“She maintains her innocence,” will fight to vindicate herself and has not discussed entering a guilty plea, Fanelli said.
First Assistant District Attorney John T. Fegley issued an equally strong message for the prosecution after Ruch waived her right to the hearing.
“We’re confident we have a very strong case going forward,” he said. “We don’t plan on withdrawing any charges.”
State police at Frackville filed the charges against Ruch as the result of what they said was an incident at 5:08 p.m. Sept. 2, 2015, on Route 309 near the top of the Blue Mountain.
Police said Ruch falsely reported that she had been in an altercation with a motorist names Jose Cruz Mendez and had to fire her Taser at him.
Ruch was found at the bottom of an embankment but did not remember how she got there, according to police. She was treated at the scene and then flown to Lehigh Valley Hospital-Cedar Crest for further treatment, police said.
Personnel from state, West Penn Township, Tamaqua and Rush Township police, the Schuylkill County Sheriff’s Office, West Penn firefighters and emergency medical services, MedEvac Air and Lehigh County Volunteer Fire Police responded to the scene.
However, according to police, Ruch could not have fired her Taser at the scene because there were no signs of the blast door covers and paper aphids that always are deposited when a Taser is fired.
Police said they also interviewed 17 witnesses, all of whom said they passed Ruch and her patrol vehicle during the time she allegedly was in the altercation and that she had seen no other vehicles in the area.
They also said testing on Ruch’s Taser showed it had been fired 33 minutes before she began reporting the incident.
On Sept. 6, 2015, The Republican-Herald based its Crime Stoppers column on the case, asking for the public’s help in finding the person or people who assaulted Ruch.
On Sept. 11, 2015, Ruch received an award, presented by state Sen. David G. Argall, R-29, for her service and bravery as the result of her actions as first reported during the incident.
West Penn police Chief Brian J. Johnson could not be reached Tuesday for comment on Ruch’s status with the department.
Defendant: Melissa M. Ruch
Age: 41
Residence: New Ringgold
Charges: Two counts of false reports to law enforcement and one each of false alarm to agency and furnishing authorities with false information