Year In Business Was Full Of Promise

Abduction Attempt Reported

By JERRY LYNOTT; Times Leader Staff Writer
 Saturday, December 27, 1997 &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;Page: 3A 





WILKES-BARRE- As far as police were concerned, Donald R. Romiski could have
stayed away until next Christmas. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 But Romiski, who took a semi-automatic rifle and ammunition with him when
he left his Brown Street house on Christmas afternoon after what police said
was a domestic dispute, turned himself in anyway. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; Friday night, police said the 34-year-old man went into police headquarters
around 5:30 p.m. Friday, gave a statement and was released. No charges were
immediately filed. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 "We are not looking for him," said police Sgt. Michael Kasper earlier on
Friday. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 Family members called police Thursday to say a drunken and angry Romiski
fled with the weapon after a squabble. Police with weapons drawn warned
residents in the neighborhood to stay inside during their search for Romiski. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 "We're treating it as a domestic report," Kasper said. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 "He didn't threaten anybody," Kasper said. The officer disputed a televised
report that police were still searching for Romiski on Friday and asking for
help in locating the man. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 Romiski has a prior criminal history of drunken-driving charges from last
year. He was arrested in April and in October of 1996. He was sentenced to 48
hours in the Luzerne County Correctional Facility and placed on one year
probation for the April arrest. Last March, he was sentenced to 48 hours of
home confinement and placed on one year probation for the October arrest. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 In April, Romiski's probation in both cases was revoked after he violated
the terms of his home confinement. On April 12, he left his home without
permission and had a blood alcohol content level of .158, according to court
papers. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 His probation was reinstated, but he had to begin anew. He lost the 26 days
he had accumulated on the probation for the October arrest and the 185 days
for the April arrest, the papers said.- &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp; 
 Times Leader staff writer John Decker contributed to this report. &nbsp;&nbsp;&nbsp;

Man Sought In Gun Incident Surrenders 
A Wilkes-barre Man Who Had Been The Subject Of A Christmas Day Search, Since 
Called Off, Was Released After Giving A Statement Friday, Police Say

Man Sought In Gun Incident Surrenders A Wilkes-barre Man Who Had Been The Subject Of A Christmas Day Search, Since Called Off, Was Released After Giving A Statement Friday, Police Say