The Herald, Sharon, Pa.

Local News

June 13, 2008

Good Samaritan turned bad, woman says

By Matt Snyder

SHEAKLEYVILLE — Jamie Beach said she was just visiting a friend in Greenville April 20 and on her way to Erie, on Greenville-Sheakleyville Road about three miles from U.S. Route 19, when her car ran out of gas.

The 25-year-old DuBois woman went knocking on doors to find someone who could help her, she said in court. Then a van pulled up with green police stickers and a scanner inside.

“I just figured it was a volunteer fire fighter or someone with the community. I remember I was relieved to see that,” Ms. Beach said.

Charles Mack Markle, 44, of 3282 N. Perry Highway, Sheakleyville, offered her a ride to the fire department where he claimed he volunteered in order to get gas.

She didn’t know the meeting would end with her running away in a panic and Markle facing charges of attempted kidnapping, attempted unlawful restraint, criminal coercion, simple assault, stalking and reckless endangerment, according to her statements in court.

Those charges were bound over to Mercer County Common Pleas Court before District Judge Lorinda L. Hinch on Friday.

After getting gas, the drive back from the fire station was casual but awkward, Ms. Beach said. She said Markle said things like, “You’re a pretty girl,” “what are you doing up here?” and “are you married?”

After he helped her fill her tank to about halfway, she said she asked if there was a way she could repay Markle. “He said you could just repay me with a date and I said, no, that’s OK.”

After an awkward moment, she said she gave Markle a piece of paper with her name and information so he could send her a bill for the gas.

After that, Markle asked her several times to get into his van and sign a receipt for the gas. Because she’d already given him her information and the receipt looked very informal it appeared to be written on shopping list lined paper — Ms. Beach said she refused.

Markle asked her at least three times to sign the receipt, told her to “go ahead and sit down, it’s OK,” and eventually approached her. She said she felt him grab her back, but that after that her memory went black.

“It was just an uncomfortable, sexual touch,” she said in court. Asked by Ms. Hinch, Mercer, to describe it better, she added that Markle pushed her and tried to get her into the van.

Later she said her back hurt and there were two rips in her shirt, she said. Police photographed the rips.

Ms. Beach said she struggled loose and fled to her car, then drove away. She had her keys in her fist, she said, but wasn’t sure if she hit him with them or not.

As she drove off, she said he yelled, “I’m going to report this! This is official information, don’t you see the police sticker on my car?”

Markle is not affiliated with the police or Sheakleyville volunteer firefighters.

Police had trouble finding Markle after the incident despite knowing him from Ms. Beach’s description. They said Markle knew they were looking for him and didn’t return to his home.

A real Sheakleyville firefighter told police the name of Markle’s newborn daughter. After obtaining birth announcement records from The Herald, police were able to find Markle at the home of the child’s mother.

Markle was also charged April 21 with involuntary deviate sexual intercourse, aggravated assault, indecent assault and corruption of minors for allegedly forcing his girlfriend’s elementary-age daughter to perform sexual acts on him in January.

Markle is free on bond and not permitted near any minors except when under direct supervision.

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