Lititz woman waives preliminary hearing in case stemming from confrontation at bank ATM
WARWICK TOWNSHIP, PA – A Lititz woman accused of deliberately rear-ending another driver at a bank, striking the woman with her car and shouting an ethnic slur at her will have the charges proceed to Lancaster County Court after waiving her preliminary hearing.
Leanne R. Stoltzfus, 38, waived the hearing before Judge Joseph Stauffer on July 20, according to the Lancaster County District Attorney’s Office.
Stoltzfus is charged with ethnic intimidation, recklessly endangering another person, simple assault, accidents involving damage to an attended vehicle and two summary traffic offenses.
The charges stem from an April 27 encounter outside a bank in the first block of Trolley Run Road in Warwick Township.
The victim told police she was using the bank’s ATM drive-through when a woman behind her began honking for her to hurry.
At approximately 7:20 p.m., the vehicle behind her allegedly struck the back of her car.
The victim then got out of her vehicle.
Prosecutors allege Stoltzfus reversed her vehicle before driving forward and striking the woman with the bumper.
The victim suffered red marks on her legs, and her vehicle was damaged, according to the district attorney’s office.
Before driving away, Stoltzfus allegedly shouted an ethnic slur at the woman.
Authorities said Stoltzfus left without notifying police about the crash, providing personal or insurance information or rendering aid to the victim.
Investigators obtained surveillance footage from outside the bank that prosecutors say depicts Stoltzfus striking the victim’s vehicle and then the woman.
The surveillance footage does not contain audio.
When questioned by police, Stoltzfus acknowledged striking the woman’s vehicle but denied hitting the woman or shouting an ethnic slur, according to authorities.
Stoltzfus remains free on $25,000 unsecured bail while the case proceeds.
Northern Lancaster County Regional Police Officer Victoria Walton filed the charges.
The charges are accusations, and Stoltzfus is presumed innocent unless proven guilty.
Key Points
- Leanne R. Stoltzfus, 38, waived her preliminary hearing, sending the charges against her toward Lancaster County Court.
- Prosecutors allege Stoltzfus rear-ended a woman’s vehicle at a bank, then struck the woman with her car and shouted an ethnic slur.
- Stoltzfus admitted striking the vehicle but denied hitting the woman or using the slur, according to authorities. She remains free on $25,000 unsecured bail.
