CLARION BOROUGH, Pa. (EYT) – A local woman is facing a laundry list of charges following a burglary that occurred in Clarion Borough.
Court documents indicate the Clarion Borough Police Department filed criminal charges against 27-year-old Monica Marie Clapper, of Leeper, in Magisterial District Judge Timothy P. Schill’s office.
The charges stem from a series of incidents that occurred on October 4 and October 5.
According to a criminal complaint released on Friday, December 29, the Clarion Borough Police Department received a report of a burglary on South 7th Avenue, in Clarion Borough, around 8:26 p.m. on October 4, 2023.
Officers made contact with a female victim, who reported that her ex-girlfriend, Monica Clapper, had broken into her apartment and damaged her TV. Clapper then damaged the victim’s Chrysler Sebring by kicking the headlight as she was leaving the residence, the complaint states.
The victim advised she was present when this burglary happened and that she watched Clapper kick out her headlight, the complaint indicates.
On October 5, around 1:45 a.m., Clarion Borough Police officers were dispatched to the area of Merle Road, behind a known bar, for a report of a hit-and-run. Officer Evan Maxwell arrived on the scene and spoke to the caller, a known male, who advised that a female patron had been drinking at the bar and started to act erratically, according to the complaint.
The caller further told police that she had consumed several alcoholic drinks at the bar while employees believed she was “either intoxicated or on drugs,” the complaint notes.
The caller then stated she was shut off around midnight, and she subsequently attempted to steal drinks from a cooler in the bar and had to be physically stopped by staff. The female was being unruly and had to be physically restrained at times. She was escorted out of the bar by the caller, the complaint states.
While exiting the bar, the female grabbed a door and slammed it into the caller’s left side, causing him pain, the complaint indicates.
She also flipped a cornhole board and ripped part of the wall down. While outside, the female picked up gravel from the back lot and threw it at the back of the bar and the caller, the complaint notes.
After attempting to knock over a parked motorcycle, the female then attempted to flee the scene as she got in a white Sedan that was parked just off Merle Road. She backed out of the parking space, pulled forward, and accelerated into the gravel lot behind the bar. The caller stated he was in the lot at this time and made to move back into a fenced area to avoid being struck. The caller stated that the vehicle accelerated towards him and only stopped when it struck a 4×4 wooden post that was part of a fence. The vehicle then accelerated out of the lot and fled the scene, the complaint states.
The caller stated he did not know the female, but showed police a picture of her that someone at the bar had taken. The caller was visibly shaken and stated he was afraid the female was going to run him over, the complaint indicates.
Officer Maxwell then cleared the scene in an attempt to locate the white sedan.
Through Officer Maxwell’s investigation and the picture provided, the female was identified as Monica Clapper, the complaint notes.
Officer Maxwell ran a check on Clapper and found that she had an active felony bench warrant out of Clarion County for burglary, according to the complaint.
Around 2:45 a.m., on October 5, Officer Maxwell was dispatched to the 90 block of South 7th Avenue for a break-in in progress.
The caller—the same female victim as the night before—reported Clapper was back at her residence trying to break in again. While responding to the call, Officer Maxwell observed a white sedan on South 8th Avenue, matching the description of the vehicle provided by the burglary victim as the vehicle driven by Clapper to her apartment, the complaint states.
The vehicle continued on South 8th Avenue, past Officer Maxwell, who turned around to get behind the vehicle. After attempting to initiate a traffic stop, the vehicle did not pull over right away and continued on Main Street before stopping in the parking lot at 990 E Main Street. Officer Maxwell exited his cruiser and drew his pistol. The driver exited the vehicle and Officer Maxwell observed it was Clapper, the complaint indicates.
Clapper initially began to comply with Officer Maxwell’s orders but then took off on foot. She ran across the parking lot before falling up the stairs near one of the apartment buildings, at which time Officer Maxwell was able to force her to the ground. Clapper continued to resist arrest but was eventually handcuffed and moved to Officer Maxwell’s cruiser, the complaint notes.
Clapper sat on the seat in the back of the cruiser but started to resist when Officer Maxwell attempted to put her legs inside the vehicle. During this exchange, Clapper leaned down and tried to bite Officer Maxwell’s right forearm. The tooth on the top of her jaw made contact with Officer Maxwell’s arm, but he pulled his arm away before she was able to close her mouth, the complaint states.
While in the cruiser, Clapper reportedly tried to reach through a small window in the cage and grab the barrels of Officer Maxwell’s patrol shotgun and rifle that were locked in the front of the cruiser’s gun rack. Clapper’s hand was in contact with the guns’ barrels, but she was unable to grab ahold of the guns before Officer Maxwell shut the window, the complaint indicates.
While waiting for copies of a warrant, Clapper complained that she couldn’t breathe while in the back of the cruiser. She asked for her inhaler, which required Officer Maxwell to open the back door. Clapper took two puffs of her inhaler and Officer Maxwell advised her to put her legs back in the cruiser so he could shut the door. Clapper then slid off the seat and tried to run away. Officer Maxwell ordered Clapper to stop and had to grab hold of her to keep her from escaping. Clapper continued to resist while she hit the side of the cruiser, causing a noticeable dent, the complaint notes.
Officer Maxwell received backup assistance to place Clapper back in the vehicle. Once she was back in the cruiser, Clapper became even more agitated and kicked the cage several times. She also began to smash her head in the cage, causing several lacerations to her head, the complaint states.
Clapper was transported to Clarion Hospital where she continued to resist and was also attempting to spit on Emergency Room staff and police, the complaint indicates.
Medical staff then attempted to sedate Clapper who continued to resist and pull away from officers. This caused a needle—which had been in Clapper’s leg—to spray fluid onto Officer Maxwell’s face and into his left eye. ER staff advised Officer Maxwell to rinse his eye, as he might have been exposed to the sedation and Clapper’s fluids, according to the complaint.
Clapper was sedated and eventually transported to the Clarion County Jail.
Officer Maxwell assessed the damage to his cruiser, which was filled with blood and had to be professionally cleaned for $175.00, the complaint notes.
An estimate for the dent that was caused to the police cruiser was also gathered, but the price was not specified.
Clapper’s Blood Alcohol Content at 5:18 a.m. on October 5 was 0.136%, the complaint indicates.
According to court records, Clapper was charged with the following:
- Burglary — Overnight Accommodations; Person Present, Felony 1
- Criminal Attempt — Aggravated Assault — Attempts to cause SBI or causes injury with extreme indifference, Felony 1
- Aggravated Assault — Attempts to cause or causes BI to designated individuals, Felony 2
- Criminal Trespass-Enter Structure, Felony 3
- Escape, Felony 3
- Resist Arrest/Other Law Enforcement, Misdemeanor 2 (two counts)
- Evading Arrest or Detention on Foot, Misdemeanor 2
- Institutional Vandalism Educational Facility, Misdemeanor 2
- Recklessly Endangering Another Person, Misdemeanor 2
- Criminal Mischief — Damage Property, Misdemeanor 3 (two counts)
- Criminal Attempt — Theft By Unlaw Taking-Movable Property, Misdemeanor 3
- Criminal Attempt — Simple Assault, Misdemeanor 2
- Disorderly Conduct Hazardous/Physical Offense, Misdemeanor 3 (two counts)
- Criminal Mischief — Damage Property, Misdemeanor 3
- DUI: High Rate of Alcohol (Bac.10 — <.16), Misdemeanor
- DUI: General Impairment/Incompetent of Driving Safely — 1st Offense, Misdemeanor
- Obedience to Traffic-Control Devices, Summary
- Disregard Traffic Lane (Single), Summary
- Public Drunkenness And Similar Misconduct, Summary
- Harassment — Subject Other to Physical Contact, Summary
A preliminary hearing with Judge Schill presiding is scheduled for Tuesday, January 2, at 10:30 a.m.
