Sheriff rounds up deadbeat parents

Deputies arrested 11people during a sweep of parents who failed to pay a total of $121,955 in child support.

NORRISTOWN >> During the early-morning hours Wednesday, some Montgomery County residents were startled awake when county sheriff’s deputies came knocking at their doors.

The deputies arrested 11 people, eight men and three women, during an overnight sweep of alleged “deadbeat parents” who failed to pay a total of $121,955 in child support for 18 children, according to county Sheriff Russell Bono.

A total of 12 deputies fanned out throughout the county beginning at 1 a.m. and they targeted Pottstown, Spring City, Collegeville, Perkiomenville, Lower Merion, Norristown, Abington, Harleysville and Souderton.

According to the sheriff’s office, the following people were apprehended: Ronald Adams, of the 3500 block of Schuylkill Road., Spring City, who allegedly owed $1,861.05 for two children; Joseph Cirino, of the 100 block of Hunt Club Drive., Collegeville, who allegedly owed $17,683.52 for two children; Daniel Devine, of the 300 block of Township Line Road., Perkiomenville, who allegedly owed $33,062.39 for two children; Robert Holland, of the first block of Greenfield Avenue., Ardmore, who allegedly owed $6,958.45 for one child; Courtney Manna, of the 300 block of Ross Road., Bridgeport, who allegedly owed $9,266.47 for one child; Manuel Pires, of the first block of Centre Avenue, Jef fersonville, who allegedly owed $14,079.39 for one child; Henry Reaves, of the first block of School Lane., Ardmore, who allegedly owed $11,587.48 for two children; Travis Richmond, of the 700 block of Logan Street, Pottstown, who allegedly owed $11,907.33 for two children; Lowell Scheetz, of the 100 block of Everett Avenue, Willow Grove, who allegedly owed $13,403.36 for one child; Holly Wadsworth, of the 200 block of East Broad Street, Souderton, who allegedly owed $1,885.50 for three children; and Heather Walters, of the 1000 block of West High Street, Pottstown, who allegedly owed $260.37 for one child.

Each of the defendants was taken before a county judge to answer to the allegations or to make payment arrangements. Bono has previously said that he encourages those parents who have missed a court date to turn themselves in rather than having deputies drag them out of bed early in the morning.