A homeless man in Pottsville waived his right to a preliminary hearing Monday and had a charge of open lewdness advance to Schuylkill County Court.
Dennis McSurdy remains in Schuylkill County Prison, where he’s been since Nov. 28, after being arrested for allegedly peeing in public and then “playing with himself,” according to a police complaint filed in District Court.
A charge of indecent exposure against McSurdy was withdrawn.
On Nov. 28, shortly after midnight, police in Pottsville were dispatched to 509 Mahantongo St. for a report of a suspicious person peeing on the sidewalk. Police arrived and made contact with the caller.
The caller said the person of interest was currently in to the breezeway at 504 Mahantongo St., the former home of the Pottsville Area Soup Kitchen, which was closed earlier this year. Police made contact with him, later identified as McSurdy. McSurdy reportedly told police he was sleeping in the breezeway. Police say while talking with him, they noticed a strong odor of urine.
That caller reportedly told police that she and her friends were sitting outside 504 Mahantongo St. that night and noticed a motion-detecting light activated. She said they stayed still and noticed that the light kept turning on and off. That’s when they noticed McSurdy standing by the breezeway.
The caller and friends went to a car across the street and locked the doors, waiting for police to show up at the scene. While waiting, they say they saw McSurdy emerge from the breezeway about 12 times and each time, he had his genitals exposed and was “playing with himself.”
McSurdy was arraigned later that morning before District Magistrate Stephen Bayer and remanded to Schuylkill County Prison on 10% of $2,500 bail, which hasn’t been posted.
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