Police: Supermarket spitter refuses to leave church, claims to be 'child of God'

James Halpin, The Citizens' Voice, Wilkes-Barre, Pa.
·2 min read

Apr. 7—The woman accused of deliberately coughing on food and causing a supermarket to toss out tens of thousands of dollars worth of merchandise in an incident that made international headlines is now charged with repeatedly refusing to leave a Warrior Run church on grounds that she is a "child of God."

Margaret Ann Cirko, 36, of Hanover Twp., is charged with defiant trespassing and disorderly conduct after police said she began shouting outside the Welsh Presbyterian Church three times over the span of a little more than a day.

According to the complaint, township police were first dispatched to the church at 390 Chestnut St. shortly after 2 a.m. March 31 to a report of a woman leaning on the front door yelling, "I believe in God."

Police arrived to find Cirko, whom they recognized from prior encounters, shouting near the front doors.

When told to stop and leave the area, Cirko said she was a "child of God" and wasn't going anywhere, police said.

Cirko, who is not a member of the church, continued shouting and refusing to leave until police eventually told her she was being arrested. At that point, she tightly gripped the church door handles to avoid being handcuffed, prompting police to pry her fingers loose, the complaint says.

Officers drove Cirko to her home at 50 Tomko Ave. and she agreed not to return to the church, according to the complaint.

But shortly before 2 a.m. April 1, police were again summoned to the church to a report of the "same female from last night" at it again.

Police said Cirko, who was shouting "I believe in God," agreed to leave the property and not return.

However, less than two hours later, police were dispatched to the church once more to a report of a woman pounding on the doors, yelling "Let me in, God. I love you," according to the complaint.

Officers found Cirko at the back door and arrested her after she tried walking away from the scene, police said.

Police charged Cirko via summons with misdemeanor counts of defiant trespassing and disorderly conduct. She is scheduled to appear for a preliminary hearing at Luzerne County Central Court on May 19.

Cirko is currently awaiting trial on felony charges including making bomb threats, criminal mischief and terroristic threats after allegedly spitting throughout the Gerrity's Supermarket on the Sans Souci Parkway the afternoon of March 25, 2020.

Cirko is currently free on $50,000 bail in that case, with a trial scheduled for June 22 before Luzerne County President Judge Michael T. Vough.

Contact the writer: jhalpin@citizensvoice.com; 570-821-2058

Recommended Stories

  • Son of slain jeweler pleads guilty, sentenced to 35 years

    The son of a slain Texas jeweler was sentenced to 35 years in prison Wednesday after admitting he hired someone to kill his father. Nicolas Patrick Shaughnessy, 22, entered a guilty plea to a murder charge during a virtual court hearing. “It would be our hope that you are never released from prison,” the family wrote.

  • A huge sawfish was discovered dead in the Lower Keys, police said.

    A large sawfish — a federally protected species — was found dead Tuesday afternoon near a popular boating spot in the Lower Keys, police said.

  • LA sheriff says Tiger Woods was driving more than 80 mph before crash

    The Los Angeles County sheriff said Wednesday that high speed caused Tiger Woods' crash. The golfer was going more than 80 mph, nearly twice the speed limit when he crashed in Southern California, officials said.

  • UK PM urges calm as Belfast protesters hijack bus, attack police

    BELFAST (Reuters) -Crowds of youths in a pro-British area of Belfast set a hijacked bus on fire and attacked police with stones in the latest of a series of nightly outbreaks of violence that began last week. British Prime Minister Boris Johnson said he was "deeply concerned" by the violence, which has injured dozens of police officers in recent days as protesters burned cars and hurled petrol bombs at police. The violence comes amid growing frustration among many in the pro-British unionist community at new trade barriers between Northern Ireland and the rest of the United Kingdom that resulted from Britain's exit from the European Union.

  • Taiwan warns it will fight to 'the very last day' if attacked as China steps up its military activity nearby

    The Chinese military sent an aircraft carrier group led by the Liaoning to drill in waters near Taiwan on Monday. It also sent military aircraft.

  • Kehlani says that being 'straight-presenting' has afforded her 'a lot of privilege' as a queer person

    The singer said she's had a different experience than other queer artists who haven't been able to hide their identities as easily as her.

  • Benefits of AstraZeneca vaccine outweigh risks: Swedish Medical Products Agency

    The Swedish Medical Products Agency said on Wednesday the benefits of the AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccine outweighed the risks after the EU drug regulator said it had found a possible link between the shot and rare blood clots. Sweden paused the use of the AstraZeneca vaccine in March after reports of rare but serious blood clots among people vaccinated with the AstraZeneca shot. "We stand behind this conclusion, that the benefits outweigh the risks," Ulla Wandel Liminga at the Medical Products Agency told a news conference.

  • After sex crime with inmate, Columbia man is arrested and fired, prison officials say

    The Columbia man was charged with first-degree sexual misconduct with an inmate, and faces a decade behind bars if convicted.

  • Trump adviser Giuliani asks judge to throw out $1.3 billion lawsuit over his 'big lie' election claims

    Donald Trump's former personal lawyer Rudy Giuliani asked a judge on Wednesday to throw out a voting machine company's $1.3 billion defamation lawsuit relating to his false claims about the November 2020 presidential election being rigged. Giuliani's lawyer said in a court filing that Dominion Voting Systems' lawsuit should be dismissed for lack of jurisdiction, and because the company has not adequately justified its request for money damages. The filing said Giuliani denies defaming Dominion, adding that the former New York City mayor would present a more forceful defense on the merits if his jurisdictional arguments are rejected by the federal judge in the District of Columbia who is assigned to the case.

  • EU regulator finds "possible" link between AstraZeneca vaccine and rare blood clots

    The European Medicines Agency (EMA) concluded Wednesday that "unusual blood clots with low blood platelets" should be listed as a "very rare" side effect of AstraZeneca's COVID-19 vaccine, but that the benefits of the shot still outweigh the risks.Why it matters: The AstraZeneca vaccine is the centerpiece of the global COVAX initiative, and one of the very few vaccines that is available, affordable and easy to store for many developing countries.Stay on top of the latest market trends and economic insights with Axios Markets. Subscribe for freeThe concerns about AstraZeneca in Europe have already spread to countries in Africa, some of which have delayed their rollouts and warned of increased vaccine hesitancy.The vaccine has been administered to over 20 million people in Europe and has played a key role in Britain's world-leading vaccine rollout.U.K. health officials said at their own press briefing Wednesday that due to the rare cases of blood clots, Britons under the age of 30 will be offered alternative vaccines to AstraZeneca when possible.What they're saying: "EMA is reminding healthcare professionals and people receiving the vaccine to remain aware of the possibility of very rare cases of blood clots combined with low levels of blood platelets occurring within 2 weeks of vaccination," the agency said in a statement.Most of the cases reported so far have occurred in women under 60 years of age within two weeks of vaccination, according to the EMA. Specific risk factors are unconfirmed.The blood clots occurred in veins in the brain and the abdomen, the EMA reports, and people who develop symptoms of this combination of blood clots and low blood platelets should seek immediate medical assistance.The bottom line: The regulator still concluded that the benefits of the AstraZeneca vaccine outweigh the risks and that it is effective at preventing COVID-19 hospitalizations and death.This story is breaking news. Please check back for updates.Like this article? Get more from Axios and subscribe to Axios Markets for free.

  • Navy destroyer USS Johnston, sunk during World War II in 1944, found after 'deepest wreck dive in history'

    The USS Johnston, led by Captain Ernest Evans, sunk in 1944 while protecting an American landing force in the Philippines, according to Naval records.

  • China warns of "robust" response if U.S. boycotts Beijing Olympics

    The Chinese government on Wednesday warned the U.S. that it would respond strongly if Washington boycott's next year's Winter Olympics set to be held in Beijing, AP reports.Driving the news: The message comes after a State Department spokesman said at a briefing Tuesday that a joint boycott by the U.S. and its allies "is something that we certainly wish to discuss," in response to a question about how to punish China for what observers have described as a genocide against Muslim minorities in Xinjiang. Stay on top of the latest market trends and economic insights with Axios Markets. Subscribe for free"[W]hat the United States does is meaningful, what the United States does will have impact," State Department spokesman Ned Price told reporters Tuesday.A State Department official later walked the comments back, insisting that "we have not discussed and are not discussing any joint boycott with allies and partners."Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Zhao Lijian denied abuses against the region's Uyghur population, and promised a “robust Chinese response” against a potential boycott.“The politicization of sports will damage the spirit of the Olympic Charter and the interests of athletes from all countries,” Zhao said. “The international community including the U.S. Olympic Committee will not accept it.”Go deeper: New geopolitical fears surround 2022 Beijing OlympicsLike this article? Get more from Axios and subscribe to Axios Markets for free.

  • Tiger Woods was driving nearly double the speed limit before his February car crash, the LA sheriffs said

    The LASD released findings of its investigation into Tiger Woods' February 23 crash on Wednesday, saying speed was the primary cause.

  • Exclusive: UK is prepared to confront Putin’s ‘private army’, says Defence Secretary

    Britain should confront Russian “mercenary groups”, the Defence Secretary has said, as intelligence images show Vladimir Putin is supplying tanks and planes to his “private army”. The Russian Wagner Group mercenary force, run by a man known as “Putin’s chef”, showed “how modern warfare is rapidly changing,” Ben Wallace told The Telegraph. The Defence Secretary’s comments come as recently declassified intelligence photos, below, show the Wagner Group using regular Russian military equipment in Libya, suggesting it is, in effect, a deniable part of the Kremlin’s army.

  • Myanmar security forces attack town that resisted with arms

    Security forces on Wednesday stormed a town in northwestern Myanmar where some residents had used homemade hunting rifles to resist the military's February seizure of power, killing at least 11 civilians and injuring many others, local news reports said. If the 11 deaths are confirmed, it would be one of the highest single-day death tolls outside the country's two largest cities, Yangon and Mandalay. The online news site Khonumthung Burmese said the attack on Kalay began before dawn.

  • How to spot the symptoms of a blood clot

    Blood clots are a very rare side effect of AstraZeneca's COVID-19 vaccine, but the EMA says the benefits of the vaccine outweigh the potential risks.

  • The US is prepared to lift sanctions on Iran that are 'inconsistent' with the 2015 nuclear deal

    The US and Iran are involved in indirect talks in Vienna this week as part of an effort to revive the 2015 nuclear deal.

  • Beyond the Pandemic: London's financial hub seeks a rebirth

    On the surface, London’s financial district appears to be a shell of its former self. Developers of the tower, called 8 Bishopsgate, are confident that when construction ends late next year, workers and firms will return to fill all 50 floors of the gleaming new office space. When the coronavirus struck, nearly 540,000 workers vanished almost overnight from the business hub, known as the City of London, or simply “the City.”

  • Mitch McConnell retracts his demand that corporations 'stay out of politics' amid outrage over Georgia's voting law

    "I didn't say that very artfully yesterday," the Kentucky Republican told reporters. "They're certainly entitled to be involved in politics."

  • Beijing has surpassed New York City to become the new billionaire capital of the world

    The Chinese capital gained 33 billionaires in 2020 for total of 100, just edging out New York City with its 99 billionaires.