x
Breaking News
More () »

Selinsgrove Community Reacts To Arrest Of Former High School Football Star

SELINSGROVE — It was a night for football at the Selinsgrove School District with a middle school matchup between Selinsgrove’s and Mount CarmelR...

SELINSGROVE -- It was a night for football at the Selinsgrove School District with a middle school matchup between Selinsgrove's and Mount Carmel's football teams.

But the arrest of a former Selinsgrove football star, who was slapped with robbery and related charges, was on most people's minds.

“It is sad, it is sad. It's sad that you get messed up in something like that,” said Randy Cline.

Selinsgrove police arrested and charged 19-year-old Juvan Batts of Selinsgrove, reportedly in connection with the robbery of a drug dealer.

Batts, who graduated from Selinsgrove last year, was an all-state football player with the seals and made it on WNEP's Dream Team during his senior year.

“He was a super athlete, that's for sure,” said Eileen Cook.

“He could outrun anybody, you just give him the ball down here, he be all the way down the other end zone,” said Cline.

According to court papers, Batts arranged to buy $1,700 worth of marijuana from a Susquehanna University student last month.

Police say on August 26th, two men sent by Batts stole that marijuana from the student inside a campus dorm by telling him they had a gun, although no weapon was shown.

The student later identified the men.

Police arrested one of the suspects who told officers Batts was the one who set up the drug deal.

“You know everybody makes choices and those choices have consequences,” said Cook.

Zack Broome graduated with batts and believes his friend is being blamed for more than what he did.

“He's a good kid and a lot of things you`re hearing about him, some may be true and a lot of it is not true.”

Batts is locked up in Snyder County, unable to post bail.

Selinsgrove police say they are still looking for that third suspect, Lamont Patterson, for this robbery.

Before You Leave, Check This Out