Columbia Spy

Two teenagers from Lancaster County are facing serious charges following a midday shooting and high-speed police pursuit along Route 30 in early March.

Emilio A. Medina-Aponte, 16, and Anthony Marin Gonzalez, 17, have been charged as adults in connection with the incident, which spanned from West Hempfield Township to East Hempfield Township. As of Thursday afternoon, neither suspect was in custody.

The Shooting

On March 2, West Hempfield Township police responded at approximately 12:30 p.m. to reports of shots fired near Oswego and Oak Hollow drives, close to the Rivercrest Apartments. Arriving officers recovered roughly 30 shell casings along with two live rounds of .40-caliber and 9mm ammunition.

Investigators say the two teens had been driving through the area since at least 11 a.m., searching for two individuals they were targeting. Surveillance footage placed them at a nearby McDonald’s at 1788 Columbia Avenue before the shooting occurred.

According to charging documents, the intended targets were seated inside a dark Volkswagen Jetta on Oswego Drive when they spotted Gonzalez and Medina-Aponte, triggering an exchange of gunfire. The Jetta then fled the scene.

Following the shooting, the teens ran to a parked vehicle on Oak Hollow Drive. When they were unable to enter, they smashed the driver-side window, got inside, and drove away.

The Chase

Northwest Regional Police later located the vehicle and pursued it to a business in the 2900 block of Columbia Avenue in East Hempfield Township. The suspects abandoned the car and fled on foot toward the nearby Arbor Park mobile home community.

Authorities issued a shelter-in-place order for the Arbor Park area as the search unfolded — a precaution taken as children were returning home from school. Police ultimately identified the suspects through witness accounts and security footage.

The Charges

Medina-Aponte faces four counts of aggravated assault, two counts of reckless endangerment, possession of a firearm by a minor, two counts of fleeing police, carrying a firearm without a license, and conspiracy.

Gonzalez faces one count of aggravated assault, one count of reckless endangerment, one count of fleeing police, and two counts of conspiracy, among other related charges.

West Hempfield Township police have not released information regarding the occupants of the Jetta.

[Source: LNP/LancasterOnline]

NATHAN WILLISON | LNP Staff Writer

An East Donegal Township man is facing criminal charges after police say he struck a 13-year-old with his truck and fled the scene last month. 

Derek Scott Mohr, 28, is charged with causing an accident involving death or injury without a license, failing to stop to render aid, driving at an unsafe speed and related charges. 

Mohr had been driving a 2013 Chevrolet Silverado through Chestnut Street in Columbia around 8 p.m. March 20 when he struck a 13-year-old boy riding a motorized scooter and continued driving, according to charging documents filed by police. 

When police arrived, they found the boy with a broken leg and a cut to his forehead. His scooter was lying nearby, its handlebars completely snapped off. 

Another teenager who witnessed what happened described the truck to police and said that the driver made no attempt to stop after striking the boy. Surveillance footage collected from the area shows the truck striking the boy and driving away, police said. 

Following the incident, police released a statement requesting assistance from the public in identifying the driver, and a tipster told investigators Mohr owned the truck.

According to an affidavit, police found Mohr and the truck which showed blunt force damage to its front bumper, grill and hood. Police say Mohr admitted operating the vehicle when it struck the teenager. Mohr told police it had been raining at the time, and he did not see the teenager in the intersection. Mohr told investigators he left the scene because he was unsure of what he had struck.

At the time of the incident, Mohr’s license had been expired for just under a month, police said. 

Mohr is currently awaiting a preliminary hearing, and bail conditions have not been set, according to court documents. An attorney representing Mohr was not listed in his docket as of Wednesday afternoon. 

The Borough of Columbia is accepting sealed bids for the purchase of a parcel of real estate known as the McGinness Innovation Park property.

The property is being sold as-is. Interested buyers can find more information on the borough’s website at http://www.columbiapa.net, or by calling 717-684-2467.

Key Dates

Sealed bids must be submitted to Columbia Borough Hall, 308 Locust Street, no later than 4:30 p.m. on Friday, May 15, 2026. All envelopes must be clearly marked “Attention: Jack Brommer, Columbia Borough McGinness Property Bid.”

Bids will be publicly opened and read aloud at 10 a.m. on Monday, May 18, at borough hall. The bid award, if any, is scheduled to take place at the regularly scheduled borough council meeting at 7 p.m. on Tuesday, May 26.

Financial Requirements

The winning bidder must meet several financial obligations:

● A non-refundable deposit of at least 4% of the bid amount, payable by certified bank or cashier’s check, is due within 10 days of the bid award.

● Full payment of the purchase price must be made within 60 days of bid acceptance.

● The successful bidder is responsible for all transfer costs, which may include title search, title insurance, survey costs, recording fees, notary fees, and applicable taxes — but the borough will cover preparation of the deed.

Bids must be submitted on the borough’s designated proposal form. No bidder may withdraw a bid within 45 days of the opening date.

Borough council reserves the right to reject any or all bids, or to waive technical irregularities and accept any bid deemed to be in the borough’s best interest.

[Source: Legal Notice]

Goyco Carlos M. Jr., Adams Cassidi N. conveyed 437 Cherry St. to Aranjo Antonia, Gomez Antonia Aranjo for $230,000.

Erin M. Duke conveyed 691 Cherry St. to Gregory A. Nikolaus for $133,200.

Stephen Bryant conveyed 648 Yohe Ave. to Coastline Capital LLC for $1.

MARCH 30, 2026 – Yard Waste Collection BEGINS.

Yard Waste will be collected on Mondays for ALL Residents (Tuesday if Monday is a Holiday).

Yard Waste ONLY!! NO plastics, metal, dirt, stones, concrete, trash/rubbish etc. 

Must be in Bio-degradable paper bags or tied into manageable sized bundles. Bags can be purchased at the Borough Office for $0.75 or 3/$2.00

This week’s photos of Columbia 

Click on photos to see larger, sharper images. 

JOE LINTNER | COLUMBIA SPY

This team, which includes members from RK&K and DQE Communications, was at Columbia River Park — and later in the day, at the Wrightsville end of the Veterans Memorial Bridge. 

According to Google: “RK&K (Rummel, Klepper & Kahl, LLP) is the lead engineering consultant for the massive $234 million rehabilitation of the historic Columbia-Wrightsville Bridge.”

Also from Google: “The connection between DQE Communications and the Columbia-Wrightsville Bridge relates to the expansion of regional fiber-optic infrastructure. DQE Communications, a provider of fiber-optic internet and data network services, has been actively extending its network through York and Lancaster counties, where the bridge serves as a critical link.”

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This lone seagull seems to have lost its flock, or vice versa.

Slow but sure progress at the Linden Street Build 

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Work-in-progress at 4th & Locust 

The finished project . . .

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Broken light fixtures at the Locust Street bus stop. The borough is looking at other options for lights.

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Time to grind that hidden stump under the sign, but first you have to move the sign.

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Signs that spring has indeed sprung . . .

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More progress at 750 South 9th Street. The plan is to construct nine single-family attached dwelling units on the 0.55-acre lot, which Valley View Capital LLC bought from the borough for $70,000 in 2023. It’s located at the intersection of South 9th Street and Avenue X.

Here’s the plan.

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A ramp has been added to the Von Hess building. 

A small building is being added, also.

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Grate on the loose near North 5th & Avenue H

Columbia Spy recommends. 

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Todd Stahl sent these photos of his first mowing of the season, getting the Veterans Memorial Bridge Plaza ready for spring and summer traffic.

Todd says he has to go back another day for the weeds on the sidewalk with the bricks.

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The sky gave an amazing show on Friday . . .

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Columbia Borough faces a $400K repair bill for structural rot at Columbia Crossing. The building is plagued by structural concerns dating back to 2013.

JOE LINTNER | COLUMBIA SPY 

Columbia Borough Council voted at its March 24, 2026 meeting to take a step towards repairing serious structural deterioration at the Columbia Crossing River Trails Center, (estimated at nearly $400,000) by authorizing staff and the borough engineer to pursue state grant funding to offset the cost. 

Engineering firm C.S. Davidson found extensive internal rot in most of the building’s laminated wood support columns as well as in the lower ends of its sloped beams. According to a borough executive brief, “the cause of the column rot appears to be from water being trapped at the base of the columns behind the stone veneer. The beam rot appears to be from water being trapped in the metal connections.”

Rinaldo: “If the building becomes a risk, then we will take more immediate action.”

However, as long as the building is safe, it will remain open. “If the building becomes a risk, then we will take more immediate action,” borough engineer Derek Rinaldo said.

Lauer Construction estimated the repair work at $399,600 for the removal and replacement of the rotted members, along with structural modifications to prevent the issue in the future. 

To help cover the expense, the borough will apply for a $200,000 grant through the PA Department of Conservation and Natural Resources. (In November 2025, council applied for a $300,000 Local Share Account grant, which is still pending.) The executive brief states: “The grant requires a 50% match, that can be covered by the LSA Grant if successful. CDBG funds are also an acceptable match.” Officials have not yet said how the borough’s share of the repair costs will be funded if the state grant falls short.

Gabel: “It is difficult to figure out who is responsible for what happened down there.”

When resident Frank Doutrich asked if there is a way of “going after” the original contractor, borough solicitor Evan Gabel replied, “It is difficult to figure out who is responsible for what happened down there” due to the way the contract documents were drafted, drawings, etc.

Concerns about the structure date as far back as August 2013, when state-approved inspectors Johnson, Mirmiran & Thompson and subcontractor Rigidply raised concerns about the design of glued laminate beams and pin connectors that tie into concrete beams in the building’s crawl space. 

At the August 12, 2013 council meeting, members voted 5-2 to bring back Buchart Horn, the building’s original design firm, to review and address the issues, at a cost of $5,000. At the time, council member Jody Gable defended the move, saying the borough had “too much invested in this project to walk away.” Councilman Jim Smith and Council President Mike Beury voted against the motion.

Smith: “It’s the gift that will keep on taking.” 

[Columbia Spy file photo]

Smith, who had long opposed the project, warned that the 2013 engineering issue was only the beginning of escalating costs, at one point calling the project “the gift that will keep on taking.” The $1.9 million building was funded largely through grants, in addition to about $80,000 contributed by the borough. Results of Buchart Horn’s review are currently not found in available records.

(Note: Columbia Crossing was formerly known as the Northwest Lancaster County River Trail Services Building.)

The building as it appeared in July 2014.

[Sources: LNP/LancasterOnline, Columbia Spy, Columbia Borough Executive Brief and Minutes]

The meeting packet is HERE.

Randy Bryant conveyed 648 Yohe Ave. to Coastline Capital LLC for $1.

Robert J. Fritsch Jr. conveyed 271 S. Fourth St. to Fritsch Robert J. Jr, Fritsch Jean Marie for $1.

4. 40 Real Estate Investments LLC conveyed 705 Chestnut St. to Topper Michelle E, Ceragloli Chris for $259,900.