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Homicide Charges Filed in Pottsgrove Crash Cover Up

Two Perkiomen Township residents were arrested for an alleged cover up surrounding the Nov. 12 crash that killed a Pottsgrove High School student.

 

 

Two Perkiomen Township residents have been charged in connection with a crash that killed 16-year-old Pottsgrove High School Student Timothy Paciello, Jr. on Nov. 12, according to a press release from the District Attorney’s Office.

According to the press release, Robert Norman Sitler, Jr. and Denise Dinnocenti were traveling in a vehicle, with two children in the back seat, that struck Paciello on E. High Street in Lower Pottsgrove just before 9 p.m.

Dinnocenti initially provided a written statement to police identifying herself as the operator of the vehicle, because she knew where she was going and Sitler had consumed several beers.

Through an extensive follow up investigation, it was determined that Sitler was the driver of the vehicle, and Dinnocenti was the front seat passenger, according to the release.

In a subsequent interview, Dinnocenti and Sitler admitted that Sitler was the driver and that they pulled into a shopping center after the crash and conspired to report that Dinnocenti was the driver, according to the DA. They also admitted to convincing their teen passengers to lie about who was driving.

Dinnocenti allegedly agreed to state she was driving because Sitler was involved in a pedestrian crash in 2004 in Alabama, when Sitler was convicted of vehicle homicide-manslaughter because he had consumed a few beers prior to driving.

The release states that, on the day after the accident, the pair filed a claim with an insurance company reporting that Dinnocenti was the operator of the vehicle.

Sitler is charged with homicide by vehicle, insurance fraud, unsworn falsification to authorities, false reports, corruption of minors, conspiracy, reckless driving, speeding and other related charges.

Dinnocenti is charged with insurance fraud, unsworn falsification to authorities, false reports, corruption of minors, conspiracy and other related charges.

The pair was arraigned before Magisterial District Justice Edward Kropp, Sr. at 3 p.m. on Monday.

Editor's note: An earlier version of this article identified the suspects as Collegeville residents, based on a statement issued by the county district attorney's office. Both Dinnocenti and Sitler are, in fact, residents of Perkiomen Township. Their home has a Collegeville mailing address.

Related Topics: Denise Dinnocenti, District Attorney Risa Vetri Ferman, Pottsgrove High School Student Death, Robert Norman Sitler Jr., Timothy Paciello, Vehicular homicide, and perkiomen township

Carol Ronca

5:05 pm on Monday, December 10, 2012

I hope they throw the book at these two jerks!A good friend of mine is a cousin of Timmy's and I know it hurts her and his family very deeply.So now I hope everybody who blamed Timmy for being in the street at the wrong place can feel alittle embarrassed by their opinions and pray for his family and friends at this time!!

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Bob Wilson

9:09 pm on Monday, December 10, 2012

Stitler should rot in jail and be abused the rest of his life. That's 2 people he has killed because he chose to drink and drive. He obviously did not learn his lesson the first time. He needs to be removed from society.

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Sue Johnson

10:59 am on Tuesday, December 11, 2012

If he was convicted in 2004 for vehicle homicide-manslaughter what was his sentence? Just 8 years later he commits the same crime. Does he have a license? How is he out now? He should rot in jail he is responsible for taking 2 lives and it is a disgrace. Not to mention 2 kids in the car. What kind of people are they to make them lie. She should have drove in the first place if he was drinking. I hope they throw the book at these two.

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Keith Heffintrayer

5:47 pm on Tuesday, December 11, 2012

Here's a comment from one of our Facebook followers:

Jeanne Dugan says: At first my heart went out to this woman who has to live the rest of her life knowing that she struck a child and they lost their life - to know that it was all a sham to cover for the actual driver who may have been intoxicated and we will never know since they lied to the police. Complete disgust for this woman now.

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Dar

8:39 am on Wednesday, December 12, 2012

Hi Keith, which fb page are you referring to? I would like to join as to follow up on what is going to happen to these P.O.S's who are putting this family through so much agony. I was at this young man's funeral and the outpouring of love and the amounts of lives he impacted in such a short time, should be an inspiration to us all. I hope they both get what they so truly deserve, justice will be served and Tommy's family can start to put the broken pieces of life they have left, back together again.

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Dar

8:39 am on Wednesday, December 12, 2012

Sorry for the typo, No disrespect intended. I meant Timmy, my phone spell checked it to Tommy.

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