Jury finds Pottstown pastor’s wife guilty
NORRISTOWN » A New Hanover woman, the wife of a former Pottstown pastor, was convicted of charges she placed township public works employees in danger with her vehicle as they constructed a bike path, which she opposed, near her property.
Peggy M. Cedeno, 69, of the 2600 block of Rosenberry Road, was found guilty in Montgomery County Court on Wednesday of misdemeanor charges of recklessly endangering other persons, obstructing the administration of law or other government function and disorderly conduct in connection with the 7 a.m. Aug. 1, 2017, incident outside her home.
Following the jury’s verdict, Judge William R. Carpenter accepted a sentencing agreement
worked out between prosecutors and Cedeno’s lawyer and immediately sentenced Cedeno to one year of probation.
“The court accepts the agreement as being appropriate,” Carpenter said.
After learning her fate from the jury and the judge, Cedeno, the wife of the Rev. Charles Cedeno who once pastored at New Life Assembly of God in Pottstown, turned to Assistant District Attorney Roderick Fancher, smiled, politely shook his hand and said, “No hard feelings.”
The jury deliberated about an hour before rendering its verdict after a two-day trial.
“She drove her car right up into the work zone and the workers had to jump out of the way or else they would have gotten hit by her car. The jury found her guilty of putting their lives in danger by doing so,” said Fancher, explaining the verdict.
Specifically, the jury found that Peggy Cedeno recklessly engaged in conduct that placed township employees Dennis Flynn and Aaron Harris in danger of death or serious bodily injury. The jury also determined Cedeno obstructed a governmental function.
The incident unfolded as the township employees were preparing for the installation of a paved blacktop bike path in the right-of-way between the roadway and Cedeno’s residence, according to testimony and court papers. A New Hanover police officer was conducting a stationary patrol at the site at the request of the public works department.
“The residents at that location, Charles and Peggy Cedeno, vehemently opposed the construction in various communications with New Hanover Township officials and it was believed that they may cause a problem for the public works employees upon beginning the project,” New Hanover Detective Dekkar Dyas wrote in the arrest affidavit.
At about 7 a.m. Peggy Cedeno arrived home in her silver 2014 Volvo S60 sedan “and abruptly pulled into her driveway and immediately turned right toward the public works employees, almost striking them before coming to a stop,” Dyas alleged in the arrest affidavit. Witnesses reported she would have struck township Roadmaster Dennis Flynn with her vehicle had he not jumped out of the way.
“Mrs. Cedeno then refused to move her vehicle, which was now blocking the path where the public works employees were attempting to construct the bike path,” Dyas alleged.
Police said they explained to Cedeno she was impeding a governmental function by blocking the path and warned her she could be arrested if she continued to do so.
“We requested numerous times that she remove the vehicle so they could continue their work but she refused to do so,” alleged Dyas, adding the vehicle eventually had to be towed from the area.
During her testimony, Cedeno, who was represented by defense lawyer George Gossett Jr., implied that while she drove up to the area, she didn’t drive directly at the workers and she claimed the workers were not in danger of being struck. Cedeno implied she wanted legal documentation from the workers that showed they were permitted to perform the work.
“She drove her car right up into the work zone and the workers had to jump out of the way or else they would have gotten hit by her car.”
— Montgomery County Assistant District Attorney Roderick Fancher “Mrs. Cedeno then refused to move her vehicle, which was now blocking the path where the public works employees were attempting to construct the bike path.”
— New Hanover Detective Dekkar Dyas