Woman strikes victim with hammer through car window in Lebanon County, police say
CHRISTINE WILL TELL US WHAT WE CAN EXPECT FOR THIS WEEKEND. WGAL NEWS EIGHT TODAY STARTS NOW. DEFINITELY NOTICE THE CHANGE IN THE TEMPERATURES OVERNIGHT. GOOD MORNING EVERYBODY. 430 ON THIS THURSDAY I’M MATT BARCARO. I’M KATELYN SMITH. SO CHRISTINE HOW FAR DOWN ARE WE DIPPING? WELL IT’S NOT GOING TO BE TERRIBLE, BUT WE’LL BE IN THE LOW 50S FOR MOST OF THE DAY TODAY. THAT’S A BIG CHANGE. SO LET ME SHOW YOU WHAT WE HAVE RIGHT NOW. WE HAVE THE SHOWERS THAT ARE MOVING OUT OF THE AREA. MOST SPOTS ARE DRY CURRENTLY. STILL WON’T RULE OUT A SHOWER AROUND THIS MORNING OR EVEN THIS AFTERNOON, BUT THE CHANCE IS PRETTY SLIM. NOTICE 40 TO OUR NORTH 50S FOR MOST OF THE SUSQUEHANNA VALLEY, AND THOSE TEMPERATURES ARE GOING TO BE HOLDING STEADY NEAR 50 FOR MUCH OF THE DAY. SO VERY LITTLE CHANGE IN OUR TEMPERATURE. BUT COMPARED TO THE NEAR 80 DEGREE TEMPERATURES THAT WE’VE HAD OVER THE PAST FEW DAYS, IT IS GOING TO FEEL QUITE A BIT COOLER. LOTS OF CLOUDS TODAY, AN EASTERLY BREEZE. THAT’S THE DIFFERENCE. WE GET THIS ONSHORE WIND WHICH WILL HELP TO COOL THINGS DOWN TEMPORARILY. WE’LL TALK ABOUT THE WARM-UP EASTER WEEKEND COMING UP. FOUR, THREE. TWO. ONE BOOSTER IGNITION AND LIFTOFF. THE CREW OF ARTEMIS TWO, NOW BOUND FOR THE MOON FOR THE FIRST TIME IN MORE THAN 50 YEARS, FOUR ASTRONAUTS ON THEIR WAY TO THE MOON. ARTEMIS TWO LAUNCHED FROM KENNEDY SPACE CENTER LAST EVENING. THE ASTRONAUTS ARE IN HIGH EARTH ORBIT RIGHT NOW, ABOUT 38,000 MILES FROM EARTH. THEY’RE SLEEPING RIGHT NOW AFTER A VERY LONG LAUNCH DAY. AND BECAUSE OF THAT, THE CAMERAS INSIDE THE ORION CAPSULE ARE TURNED OFF RIGHT NOW. THE ASTRONAUTS WILL TRAVEL THOUSANDS OF MILES PAST THE MOON, TURN AROUND AND COME BACK TO EARTH. THIS IS SET TO BE THE FARTHEST ANYONE HAS EVER GONE INTO SPACE. THE TRIP IS EXPECTED TO LAST TEN DAYS, BUT NASA SAYS THIS IS SETTING UP FOR ANOTHER MISSION THAT WILL LAND ON THE MOON, AND PARTS OF THAT ROCKET ARE ACTUALLY MADE RIGHT HERE IN THE SUSQUEHANNA VALLEY. PRETTY COOL. A C T ENGINEERING IN LANCASTER MADE PIECES TO HELP KEEP TECHNOLOGY ON THE ROCKET COOL WHILE GOING INTO ORBIT. THE LEAD ENGINEER FOR THE PROJECT SAYS THAT LANCASTER ACTUALLY LEADS THE WORLD IN THERMAL MANAGEMENT SOLUTIONS FOR SPACECRAFT. EVERYBODY THINKS SPACE IS REALLY COLD AND THEY’RE LIKE, OKAY, COOLING IS EASY. IT’S ACTUALLY REALLY CHALLENGING. IF YOUR PHONE EVER GETS SUPER HOT AND IT’S LIKE AUTOMATICALLY DIMS THE BRIGHTNESS FOR YOU BECAUSE IT NEEDS TO COOL DOWN. I MEAN, IT’S NOT WORKING AT ITS FULL CAPACITY. IT’S THE SAME IDEA FOR A SATELLITE. LIKE THE ELECTRONICS AREN’T GOING TO FUNCTION AS INTENDED. JUST A FASCINATING MISSION. IF YOU’D LIKE TO SEE MORE COVERAGE OF THE ARTEMIS TWO MISSION, YOU CAN FIND THAT ONLINE AT W G A L.COM. FRANKLIN COUNTY COMMISSIONERS ARE HEARING FROM PEOPLE WHO SPOKE OUT AGAINST THE PROPOSAL FOR COUNTYWIDE GUIDELINES ON AI DATA CENTER DEVELOPMENTS IN THE COUNTY DURING A HEARING YESTERDAY. NONE OF THE PEOPLE WHO SPOKE DURING PUBLIC COMMENT WERE IN FAVOR OF THESE AI DATA CENTERS. WE NEED WATER TO LIVE. AND YOU KNOW, THEY NEED TO BE HELD ACCOUNTABLE. I DON’T WANT ANY OF MY NEIGHBORS TO HAVE TO SUFFER BECAUSE OF THAT. THE COMMISSIONER’S PROPOSED GUIDELINES WOULD BE SECONDARY TO ANY REGULATIONS THAT TOWNSHIPS WITHIN THE COUNTY SET FOR THEMSELVES, BUT THE COMMISSIONERS PUT THEM TOGETHER, WHAT THEY SAY ARE THE BEST PRACTICES TO HELP PROTECT PEOPLE AND MINIMIZE THE IMPACT OF THESE CENTERS. THEY SAY IT’S PRIMARILY TO GUIDE SMALLER TOWNSHIPS THAT DON’T TYPICALLY DEAL WITH ZONING REGULATIONS ALL THAT OFTEN, WHICH SERVES SOME RESIDENTS IN YORK AND LANCASTER COUNTIES, IS LOOKING TO RAISE RATES WITHIN THE NEXT YEAR. IT SAYS THE MONEY WOULD HELP WITH ITS ELECTRIC AND NATURAL GAS INFRASTRUCTURE. SO UNDER THIS PROPOSAL, A TYPICAL PICO RESIDENTIAL ELECTRIC CUSTOMER WOULD SEE YOUR MONTHLY BILL INCREASE BY ABOUT $20 AND A NATURAL GAS CUSTOMER WOULD SEE AN INCREASE OF ABOUT $14. IF APPROVED, THE NEW RATES WOULD TAKE EFFECT JANUARY 1ST. NOW, PICO OFFICIALS SAY THE RATE INCREASE WOULD BRING IN $429 MILLION FOR ITS ELECTRIC INVESTMENTS, AND ALSO $81 MILLION FOR ITS NATURAL GAS INVESTMENTS. AND THOSE OFFICIALS SAY THESE INVESTMENTS WILL EVENTUALLY HELP BRING DOWN YOUR BILL. ALL ELECTRIC RATES INCREASES MUST BE APPROVED BY THE PENNSYLVANIA UTILITY COMMISSION. WELL, SPEAKING OF RATE INCREASES, TODAY IS THE DEADLINE FOR CUSTOMERS TO PRE-REGISTER FOR ONE OF TWO CALL IN PUBLIC HEARINGS ON PROPOSED GAS RATE INCREASES BY UGI. THE COMPANY IS LOOKING TO RAISE NATURAL GAS RATES BY ABOUT BY ABOUT 8%, WHICH COULD INCREASE YOUR BILL BY ABOUT $10 PER MONTH. SO TO PRE-REGISTER TO CHIME IN HERE, YOU’LL HAVE TO CONTACT THE PUC, THE PUBLIC UTILITY COMMISSION, BY TEN THIS MORNING. THAT CONTACT INFORMATION IS UP ON YOUR SCREEN RIGHT NOW. THEN YOU’LL GIVE YOUR NAME AND THE PHONE NUMBER THAT YOU’LL USE TO CALL INTO THE HEARING. THESE CALL IN HEARINGS ARE SCHEDULED FOR ONE IN THE AFTERNOON AND THEN ANOTHER IN SIX IN THE EVENING. AMTRAK WILL SOON START A $3.5 MILLION RENOVATION PROJECT AT THE LEWISTOWN STATION IN MIFFLIN COUNTY. THE COMPANY’S PLANS INCLUDE A NEW BOARDING PLATFORM, LED LIGHTING, A RENOVATED RESTROOM, AND ALSO A NEW HVAC SYSTEM. THAT CONSTRUCTION IS EXPECTED TO WRAP UP NEXT SPRING. THE LEWISTOWN STATION IS BELIEVED TO BE THE OLDEST STILL SERVED BY AMTRAK. THE WESTERN LEBANON COUNTY REGIONAL POLICE DEPARTMENT AND THE LEBANON COUNTY REGIONAL POLICE DEPARTMENT MET TO DISCUSS MERGING. THEY SAY IF ALL THE OFFICERS WERE UNDER ONE ROOF, IT WOULD BE EASIER TO SHARE RESOURCES, MAKE TRAINING EASIER AND FREE UP MORE OFFICERS TO PATROL DIFFERENT AREAS IN LEBANON COUNTY. THEY SAY IT WOULD ALSO LOWER COSTS FOR TAXPAYERS AND ANNVILLE, NORTH CORNWALL, NORTH LEBANON AND PALMYRA. BOTH OF THESE REGIONAL POLICE COMMISSIONS HAVE AGREED TO CONTINUE TALKING ABOUT THIS POTENTIAL MERGER. IT’S 436 AND WE ARE LEARNING MORE ABOUT PLANS FOR THE NEW LANCASTER COUNTY PRISON. THAT’S A PROJECT THAT COUNTY LEADERS SAY MAY COST NEARLY $500 MILLION. THE PLANS DO INCLUDE AIR CONDITIONING, SOMETHING THE EXISTING PRISON DOES NOT HAVE. ALSO, A WELLNESS CENTER FOR PATIENT TREATMENT. THE CURRENT PRISON HAS ABOUT 700 MEN AND 100 WOMEN IN. THE WARDEN SAYS THAT BUILDING IS LIMITED ON HOW IT CAN ACCOMMODATE INMATE NEEDS SO MUCH AND JUST THE ATMOSPHERE ITSELF, RIGHT? YOU GO INTO AN AIR CONDITIONED BUILDING THAT THE COLORS OF THE WALLS, THE NATURAL LIGHT IS GOING TO BE HUGE. I MEAN, WHEN YOU LEAVE HERE AND YOU GO OUTSIDE, JUST THINK OF HOW YOU FEEL. THE NATURAL LIGHT THAT’S COMING IN THROUGH THE SKYLIGHTS AND ALL THAT. BUT YEAH, OUR BUILDING IS OUR WORST ENEMIES. IT JUST, YOU KNOW, IT REALLY. WE SPEND A LOT OF OUR DAY TRYING TO FIGURE THINGS OUT BECAUSE OUR BUILDING DOESN’T ALLOW IT. THERE IS A WEBSITE FOR UPDATES ON THAT PROJECT TO BUILD THE NEW PRISON. THE WEBSITE SAYS THE GOAL IS TO BREAK GROUND ON THE PROPERTY IN LANCASTER TOWNSHIP BY THE END OF THIS YEAR. NEW ON NEWS 8 TODAY. A YORK MAN IN THE IS IN LANCASTER COUNTY PRISON THIS MORNING AFTER POLICE SAY HE SEXUALLY ASSAULTED A TEENAGE GIRL. LANCASTER TOWNSHIP. POLICE SAY BRET BAIER SEXUALLY ASSAULTED A GIRL WHO HE KNEW MULTIPLE TIMES STARTING IN 2021. POLICE SAY HE WOULD THREATEN TO KILL THE GIRL’S FAMILY IF SHE TOLD ANYONE. THE ASSAULT WAS REPORTED IN AUGUST OF LAST YEAR AND A WARRANT WAS ISSUED FOR HIS ARREST. BEAR WAS ARRESTED YESTERDAY WHILE HE WAS AT THE LANCASTER COUNTY COURTHOUSE FOR A SEPARATE CIVIL CASE IN HARRISBURG. ONE PERSON WAS SHOT AND TAKEN TO THE HOSPITAL. DISPATCHERS SAY THIS HAPPENED JUST BEFORE TEN LAST NIGHT AT THE INTERSECTION OF NORTH THIRD AND MEDIC STREETS. REPAIRS ARE UNDERWAY AFTER VANDALISM AT A HARRISBURG PARK. THE MAYOR’S OFFICE TELLS US THAT THIS HAPPENED AT A PARK AT SEVENTH AND RADNOR STREETS SOMETIME BETWEEN MONDAY AND TUESDAY. THEY SAY SOMEONE VANDALIZED THE BENCHES AND RIPPED UP PARTS OF THE RUBBER COATING ON THE PLAYGROUND, AND DOZENS OF PLANTS THAT WERE JUST PUT IN ON MONDAY WERE YANKED. THE MAYOR’S OFFICE SAYS SOMEONE ALSO LEFT WHAT APPEARS TO BE THEIR INITIALS ON THE SIDEWALK. THEY INTEND TO FILE CHARGES ONCE THEY KNOW WHO DID THIS. THE PARK IS ONE OF FOUR IN THE CITY UNDERGOING RENOVATIONS THROUGH A $13 MILLION GRANT THAT THE CITY GOT. THE C
Woman strikes victim with hammer through car window in Lebanon County, police say
Updated: 6:20 AM EDT Apr 2, 2026
A woman was charged after hitting a person with a hammer, according to the Lebanon City Police Department. Video above: Headlines from WGAL News 8 Today. Officers were called to the assault around 6:45 p.m. on Tuesday, March 31, at the intersection of Locust and South Cherry streets. Investigators said Melanie Perez, 25, confronted the victim’s vehicle and attempted to “provoke a physical fight.” Perez then struck the victim in the head with a hammer through an open window of the vehicle, according to police. Investigators said she also removed the license plate from the victim’s vehicle. Perez was arrested and charged with aggravated assault and robbery. Stay with WGAL for updates as we learn more. See news happening? Send us your photos or videos if it’s safe to do so at https://www.wgal.com/upload.
LEBANON, Pa. —
A woman was charged after hitting a person with a hammer, according to the Lebanon City Police Department.
Video above: Headlines from WGAL News 8 Today.
Officers were called to the assault around 6:45 p.m. on Tuesday, March 31, at the intersection of Locust and South Cherry streets.
Investigators said Melanie Perez, 25, confronted the victim’s vehicle and attempted to “provoke a physical fight.”
Perez then struck the victim in the head with a hammer through an open window of the vehicle, according to police.
Investigators said she also removed the license plate from the victim’s vehicle.
Perez was arrested and charged with aggravated assault and robbery.
Lebanon City Police Department
Melanie Perez
Stay with WGAL for updates as we learn more.
See news happening? Send us your photos or videos if it’s safe to do so at https://www.wgal.com/upload.