Carbon man sent to state prison for resisting arrest

A Carbon County man who when confronted by police jumped through a closed glass window to try to escape was sentenced in the county court on Oct. 19 to a state prison term.

Judge Joseph J. Matika sentenced Leonard Rehatchek III to serve nine to 24 months in a state correctional institution on a charge of flight to avoid apprehension and two to 24 months on a resisting arrest charge, with the terms running concurrently. He previously pleaded to the charges.

He was arrested by Nesquehoning police on June 22 at a home along Stock Street.

Police were called to the house by county probation officers who were there to check out a report of drug activity.

When police attempted to take Rehatchek into custody in an upstairs bedroom, he jumped through a closed glass window onto a roof and then off the roof and fled into nearby woods.

Police pursued him and eventually took him into custody.

Rehatchek admitted to a serious drug addiction problem. He told Matika, “I definitely want to go to a rehab.”

Matika noted that a few days after being released from prison after serving a sentence, he was back using drugs.

In addition to the prison term, Matika ordered Rehatchek to supply a DNA sample, get a drug and alcohol evaluation and follow any recommendation for treatment, zero tolerance for drug or alcohol use, render 50 hours of community service when paroled and pay court costs of about $1,000.

He was given credit for 119 days spent in prison to date on the charges.