DeMentri in hot seat over NBC10 incident

In another apparent feud between Philadelphia news anchors, NBC10 is investigating Vince DeMentri in an incident involving Lori Delgado.

The American Federation of Television and Radio Artists, the union representing many TV reporters and anchors, called on the station yesterday to release a statement to explain the allegations. "If they have stuff against him, we want to hear it," local AFTRA executive director Steve Leshinski said.

NBC questioned DeMentri, 44 and a five-year NBC10 employee, on July 3 about the removal of property from the newsroom and vandalism of a car in the station's parking lot in Bala Cynwyd, Leshinski said.

A station source who spoke on the condition of anonymity identified Delgado as the owner of the car, which was scratched by a key. The property, believed to be a handbag and blow dryer, was found elsewhere in the station. Delgado declined to comment yesterday in a phone call.

DeMentri, who works afternoons, and Delgado, who works mornings, anchored together from December 2005 to September 2006 on NBC10's MYPHL17 news show at 10 p.m.

"The station has made this investigation into a circus," said Leshinski, who represents DeMentri. "To allow rumors to circulate is de facto punishment."

DeMentri, who had not been charged by police yesterday, did not return calls to his cell phone. He was on a previously scheduled vacation, and was listed on the station schedule to return Monday, Leshinski said.

Station spokeswoman Eva Blackwell, returning a call placed to NBC attorney Angel Ortiz, based in New York, declined to comment. Station manager Dennis Bianchi and news director Chris Blackman did not return calls for comment.

The NBC10 incident came to light almost six weeks after the FBI raided the home of then-CBS3 anchor Larry Mendte and seized his computer to investigate whether he read the e-mails of onetime colleague Alycia Lane and fed gossip to reporters. The investigation continues, and Mendte's lawyer this week reiterated that Mendte was cooperating.

DeMentri, known as an aggressive reporter, was suspended in 2006 after a newsroom confrontation with colleague Glenn "Hurricane" Schwartz, who had chided DeMentri on the air for wading into floodwaters during a weather story.

While at WCBS in New York in the days after the attacks of Sept. 11, 2001, DeMentri was detained and given a misdemeanor summons for wearing a hat issued by the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms, which gained him access to an area off-limits to reporters. He apologized.