Consultant pitches 911 radio system upgrade

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Rotary Club of Mountain Top holds train excursion to Jim Thorpe

<p>WILKES-BARRE &#8212; A pair of medical experts disagreed in court Monday about whether they believe a teen accused of leading police on a high-speed pursuit that spanned multiple municipalities suffers from bipolar disorder and would benefit from treatment through the juvenile court system.</p><p>Isaac Ome Matos, 16, of Pittston Avenue, Scranton, is as an adult charged with four counts of aggravated assault, 10 counts of reckless endangerment and numerous related charges after police say he rammed a stolen 2007 Chevrolet Suburban into occupied police cruisers in a brazen attempt to elude capture that was eventually thwarted by West Wyoming police.</p><p>Matos was allegedly at the helm of the SUV on Jan. 19 while another teen, who is being charged as a juvenile in the case, was in the passenger seat.</p><p>Whether Matos will face charges at the juvenile court level as well was the subject of testimony heard Monday in Luzerne County Court. The teen&#8217;s attorney, public defender Ana Lee Mojtahedi, filed a motion in March that sought to transfer his charges.</p><p>Two medical experts dominated much of Monday&#8217;s testimony.</p><p>Dr. Richard Fischbein, the defense&#8217;s expert witness in the case, testified there was &#8220;no question&#8221; Matos had a bipolar disorder which, coupled with a learning disability, prompted the teen to &#8220;act out.&#8221;</p><p>Assistant District Attorney Mamie Phillips argued the chase didn&#8217;t sprout up and carry on through numerous municipalities on a whim.</p><p>Police say the pursuit began on the North Cross Valley Expressway when the teens took off after a failed traffic stop. It continued into the Back Mountain before winding through the streets of West Wyoming, Jenkins Township, Pittston, West Pittston, Exeter, and ultimately back to West Wyoming, where the stolen vehicle was forced to a stop by a West Wyoming police unit.</p><p>The vehicle was reported stolen in Dunmore, according to police.</p><p>One of the officers involved in the pursuit, Wilkes-Barre City patrolman Harold Sereyka, testified Matos plowed into the side of his cruiser twice at over 50 mph, leaving him with chronic numbness in his limbs and bulged discs in his neck. He is doubtful whether he&#8217;ll be back on the job.</p><p>&#8220;At this point,&#8221; Sereyka said, &#8220;it doesn&#8217;t look good.&#8221;</p><p>Fischbein, who testified for most of the morning, noted Matos&#8217; mother was &#8220;out of the picture&#8221; and his father was jailed for dealing drugs, which landed the teen in foster care for more than a year. Matos&#8217; father&#8217;s own bipolar diagnosis increases the chances the teen has the disorder as well, Fischbein explained.</p><p>Dr. Steven E. Samuel had his own take.</p><p>The commonwealth&#8217;s expert witness said his analysis led him to believe Matos had a mood disorder. Samuel, of Philadelphia, also challenged Fischbein&#8217;s testimony that Matos acted on impulse, stating Matos had explained that he stole the vehicle because his father kicked him out of his home and he needed a place to sleep.</p><p>Samuel said Matos told him he stole the vehicle and drove it to a parking lot behind a motel. He planned to sleep inside the SUV until police learned of the theft and gave chase, Samuel said.</p><p>Samuel testified he didn&#8217;t believe Matos would be amenable to treatment, rehabilitation and supervision in the juvenile court system.</p><p>Luzerne County Judge David W. Lupas is expected to issue a ruling in the matter at a later date.</p><style>
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<div class="neFile"><img class="neImage" src="https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/07/web1_TTL022716Matos.jpg">
<div class="neCaption">Matos </div></div><div class="metaInfo"><photo0>https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/07/web1_TTL022716Matos.jpg</photo0><caption0>Matos </caption0><photoCredit0>Pete G. Wilcox | Times Leader </photoCredit0></div></div>
<div class="metaInfo"><subheadMeta>Defense, prosecution disagree over where Matos case should go</subheadMeta></div><div class="metaInfo"><bylineMeta><p>By Joe Dolinsky</p><p>jdolinsky@www.timesleader.com</p></bylineMeta></div><div class="metaInfo"><shirttailMeta><p>Reach Joe Dolinsky at 570-991-6110 or on Twitter @JoeDolinskyTL</p></shirttailMeta></div>

Experts differ over whether Isaac Ome Matos should go to juvenile court system