Tobyhanna man charged in DUI, child endangerment cases

Feb. 19--Having a history of being charged with driving under the influence, a man is awaiting district court hearings in one case, involving a crash, and another in which he allegedly endangered his 4-year-old daughter and assaulted an officer trying to arrest him, all in Tobyhanna Township.

Michael Thomas Graziano, 37, of Jim Thorpe, was charged Wednesday in both cases.

Graziano is charged in a 2015 case with fleeing to avoid apprehension/trial/punishment, causing a crash resulting in property damage, driving with a suspended license, driving without a valid inspection and driving an unregistered vehicle. He's charged in the other case, stemming from a Wednesday incident, with aggravated assault, endangering a child's welfare, fleeing police, DUI, simple assault, resisting arrest, reckless endangerment, fleeing to avoid apprehension/trial/punishment and disorderly conduct, along with citations for disregarding a stop sign, disregarding a traffic lane and driving with a blood alcohol level of .02 or higher while having a suspended license.

Graziano was placed in Monroe County Correctional Facility in lieu of a total of $27,500 on both cases.

On the night of Dec. 7 into Dec. 8, 2015, Graziano crashed his Chrysler Sebring through a fence into tennis courts in the area of Sir Bradford and Chestnut roads in Tobyhanna Township, said Pocono Mountain Regional Police. He left the scene, called for a tow truck and asked the tow truck driver to pick him up at a King Arthur Road address, near the crash scene.

The tow truck driver arrived at that address and found the house dark, but then saw Graziano flagging him from a few houses away, police said. Graziano then had the driver take him to the crash scene.

When arriving at the scene and seeing the damage and location of Graziano's vehicle, the tow truck driver said he would have to phone his boss about towing the vehicle off of private property, according to police. Graziano then became very nervous and changed his story, saying it was a friend and not him who had been driving when the vehicle crashed.

When an officer arrived, Graziano put his head down and started walking away quickly, police said.

When the officer encountered Graziano and asked if he was the driver of the crashed vehicle, Graziano said no, claiming to be just a curious passerby, according to police. The officer smelled an alcoholic beverage odor on Graziano's breath.

The tow truck driver then told the officer Graziano had been driving the vehicle.

The vehicle at the time belonged to Megan Druker, with whom Graziano had lived at one time, the officer found. The vehicle had no inspection sticker, an expired registration and insurance, and an old traffic ticket issued to Graziano.

At the time, Graziano had a license suspended for DUI and three arrest warrants out on him, the officer found. He lived in the development where the crash occurred and later admitted knowing about the warrants out on him.

The affidavit on this case doesn't say if Graziano was taken into custody at that point or what happened next.

On Wednesday, an officer saw Graziano, who was now driving a Chevy Impala, run a stop sign while coming out from Route 903 and almost hit two vehicles on Route 115, south of Blakeslee, police said. Druker and Graziano's 4-year-old daughter were his passengers.

The officer tried pulling Graziano over, but Graziano continued north on Route 115 until finally pulling over near the Best Western.

When Graziano exited the vehicle, clearly showing signs of intoxication, the officer ordered him to get back into the vehicle, but Graziano refused, put his hand inside his pocket and started walking toward the officer, police said. When the officer drew his gun and again ordered Graziano back inside the vehicle, Graziano reluctantly obeyed, but then exited the vehicle again in a violent manner.

Graziano again put his hand inside his pocket and started walking toward the officer, ignoring orders to stop, police said. When the officer switched from his gun to his taser, Graziano again reluctantly obeyed orders to stop.

When Graziano again became aggressive, the officer tased him, knocking Graziano down onto the road, police said. Graziano tried to get back up, refusing to be handcuffed, and the officer tased him again.

Graziano continued resisting, making a chopping motion with his arm and disconnecting the taser wire from the probes, police said. At this time, both men were in an unsafe location in the middle of the road.

When Graziano then started running toward the Best Western, the officer chased and tackled him to the ground, police said. Graziano continued resisting arrest until a passerby helped the officer subdue him.

Another officer arrived and helped the first officer walk a handcuffed Graziano, who was still trying to pull away, over to the patrol car, police said.

After securing Graziano into custody, officers asked Druker why she let herself and a child be in a vehicle with a severely intoxicated driver. Druker said Graziano had threatened to "make things really bad for her" if she didn't, but the police affidavit does not say if she elaborated any further in her response.

Police again found Graziano had three arrest warrants out on him (though the affidavit does not say if these were the same warrants found during the 2015 incident) and again was driving with a suspended license. While being taken to the county jail, Graziano threatened to attack one of the officers if he ever again saw him in public, police said.

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