Police name suspects in Pine Ridge assault while security staff out of work

BUSHKILL — State police have accused two men of an assault rampage involving car chases and an ax in Pine Ridge, at a time when the development’s security may be compromised.

Jerome Noble, 19, of Saw Creek, Bushkill, and Shaun Alan Hance, 20, of Marshalls Creek, are accused of aggravated assault after threatening, chasing and assaulting seven different victims from the Pine Ridge and Pocono Ranchlands developments on Jan. 23.

The two men threatened victims by telephone, then waited for them to emerge from a house before chasing them “at a high rate of speed” in two separate chases, according to state police at Blooming Grove.

Police have accused the two men of physically assaulting one victim and using an ax to threaten three others.

The board at Pine Ridge says the entire security (and office) staff walked off the job on Jan. 21, two days before the assaults, after a labor dispute over health care. Employees say they were fired after the staff scheduled to work all called in sick Monday.

Board members refused to accept doctors' notes and quickly changed the locks to prevent staff from returning.

The dispute has raised questions about the security situation at Pine Ridge.

The board did not clearly answer association member’s questions about who is running security while they come up with a new public safety plan.

The board told members that community volunteers, board members and former security staff had manned the gate house.

Anyone with more information on the attacks is asked to call police at (570) 226-5718.