|
'Thug behavior' lands man in jail; bail $200,000
MEADVILLE, Feb 14, 2012 (The Meadville Tribune - McClatchy-Tribune Information Services via COMTEX) --
A Meadville man is in Crawford County jail in lieu of $200,000 bail following a dual arraignment on Pennsylvania State Police and Meadville City Police charges stemming from a string of events that began Sunday between 3 and 4 p.m. in West Mead Township and ended several hours later in Meadville.
According to Pennsylvania State Police, Brian Jones, 23, of 723 Terrace St., Meadville, became upset when the mother of his 2-month-old child told him she wanted to break up with him at her Forest Green Drive home. After striking her in the head and face while she was holding the child, police reports say, he allegedly grabbed her cellular phone. Becoming irate over the content of one of her text messages, he allegedly struck her in the face with the cell phone and proceeded to make multiple threats of violence.
He allegedly held the victim and child captive before taking the mother's house keys, car keys, cell phone and approximately $30 in cash. Running out of the house, he allegedly used the keys to take a car belonging to another woman, the second victim in the chain of events, and fled from the area.
Charged with theft by unlawful taking, unlawful restraint, terroristic threats, simple assault, unauthorized use of an automobile, theft by unlawful taking and harassment, Jones was arraigned Monday before Meadville Area Magisterial District Judge William Chisholm, who set bail at $100,000 and tentatively scheduled a preliminary hearing for Feb. 23.
Chisholm then proceeded with the second arraignment.
According to Assistant Chief Tom Liscinski, the first call to Meadville City Police Department came from state police, who said they had a warrant for domestic assault and a stolen vehicle.
At 7:23 p.m., city police were called to Catherine Street to investigate a "hit-skip" incident. Upon their arrival, they were given the same vehicle description and plate number by the third victim, who was clearing snow from his legally parked car when it was hit.
"When he approached the driver for insurance information, the driver stared straight ahead and didn't say anything -- but he had a gun in his lap," Liscinski said. "Someone in the back seat said, 'Nothing happened, right?,' " to the man on Catherine Street.
After calling police, the third victim went to the police station. He was still there when a call came in that the vehicle had been observed near Meadville Medical Center's Grove Street facility.
According to Liscinski, three subjects were in the car when it was pulled over at Spencer Alley. "They were all brought out at gunpoint, handcuffed and transported to the station," he said. At the station, it was determined that the .38-caliber semi-automatic gun had been stolen from West Mead Township.
According to Meadville police, Jones also allegedly struck an unoccupied vehicle legally parked on Spring Street and left the scene.
Charged by Meadville police with possessing a firearm prohibited because of a previous conviction, carrying a firearm without a license, theft by receiving stolen property, simple assault for brandishing the gun at the third victim, accident involving damage to attended vehicle, accident involving damage to unattended property, driving without a valid driver's license and committing a crime of violence with a firearm, Jones was arraigned for a second time and committed to Crawford County jail in lieu of an additional $100,000 bail. The preliminary hearing was also tentatively set for Feb. 23.
Citing a history of past and pending police charges in both Meadville and Erie, "It's clear we've got major thug behavior," Chisholm said before setting bail at a total of $200,000.
Mary Spicer can be reached at 724-6370 or by e-mail at mspicer@meadvilletribune.com.
___ (c)2012 The Meadville Tribune (Meadville, Pa.) Visit The Meadville Tribune
(Meadville, Pa.) at meadvilletribune.com Distributed by MCT Information Services
[ Back To TMCnet.com's Homepage ]
|
TMCnet LOGIN
Webinars
