The Aliquippa police department will no longer participate in the investigation into the shooting death of Rachael DelTondo.
ALIQUIPPA — The Aliquippa police department will no longer participate in the investigation into the shooting death of Rachael DelTondo.
Acting police chief Robert Sealock announced Thursday the recusal of two Aliquippa police detectives who were assisting with the investigation into the May 13 death of the 33-year-old woman.
Sealock was named acting chief by Aliquippa officials earlier in the week in light of the suspension of both the chief and assistant chief of the department.
District Attorney David Lozier on Wednesday said the case was not impacted by the shake-up in leadership of the department. He confirmed two Aliquippa detectives were assisting the Beaver County Detectives Bureau, Pennsylvania State Police and other federal agencies in the case.
Sealock on Thursday told The Times he decided to pull the two city detectives off the case in his first official act as interim chief. The detectives had the case “from day one” and he decided the department will “concentrate on some other things.”
Although the department will not actively participate in the case, Sealock said he will provide any assistance needed by investigating detectives.
“I have full confidence that the investigating agencies will unravel this crime and will prevail in bringing the guilty culprit or culprits to justice,” he said in a prepared statement.
Moving forward as acting chief, Sealock said the department will focus its resources “on other investigations” and will concentrate “on moving forward and continuing to be active within the City of Aliquippa.”
He also called for city residents to report crimes to the department, while vowing to promote transparency and trust in the officers.
Sealock, who served as a captain until an interim promotion, is a long-time member of the city police department.
Aliquippa police Chief Donald Couch was placed on paid leave last week as a result of a city council vote. Officials would not elaborate as to the reasoning, beyond denying a connection to the DelTondo case.
Assistant Chief Joseph Perciavalle was placed on leave and criminally charged just a few days later, after investigators located an inappropriate text message he sent to a juvenile homicide witness.
In a statement released early this week, Aliquippa city officials vowed no lapse in police service as a result of the two suspensions.
Sgt. Kenneth Watkins was placed on leave shortly after the DelTondo homicide as a result of a personal connection to the case. Several search warrants for cellphone records in the case name Watkins’ wife and 17-year-old daughter, and investigators believe the teen may have been a witness to the shooting.