CLEARFIELD – A Portersville man recently found guilty of assaulting two women and stealing a vehicle was sentenced Tuesday during plea and sentencing court in Clearfield County.
Randy Joseph Pfab, 27, 675 Studebaker Rd., Portersville, was sentenced to 12 months to two years less one day in jail for robbery of a motor vehicle, driving under the influence and simple assault. He must also serve three years consecutive probation, complete drug and alcohol counseling and pay $1,250 plus costs. The DUI charge requires he complete the DUI school and surrender his driver’s license.
The charges stem from an incident in the Treasure Lake area of Sandy Township on Sept. 9. Witnesses testified that Pfab was at the Treasure Lake Ski Lodge when employees saw that he had been injured. Two female employees offered to take him home and on the way, he assaulted them before driving off in the vehicle.
Prior to sentencing, attorney Ronald Collins who represented Pfab claimed this happened after Pfab suffered “a traumatic event” and was convinced the women were trying to steal his vehicle. During the trial, Collins presented evidence that Pfab had been assaulted by a group of people and suffered a head injury before the incident.
Pfab’s father, Steve, also addressed the court, saying his son was “very, very sorry” and embarrassed by the situation. He asked Clearfield County President Judge Fredric Ammerman to sentence him to just probation. Ammerman replied with these charges, that was not possible, but he commented this was “one of the strangest cases I’ve seen in a long time.”
Pfab apologized to the victims, explaining he felt terrible about what happened.
According to testimony at the trial, the first victim said a blood-covered Pfab entered the business, staggering. He explained that he was beaten and his vehicle stolen.
The owner, George Moore, wanted to take him to the hospital, but Pfab said he wanted to go home. Because he was too intoxicated to drive, the victim agreed to take him to where he was staying with a friend in Treasure Lake. It was suggested that another waitress go with her.
On the way, he started to say “weird things like I was going too fast or too slow” or “let me drive,” she testified. Then, he told her to get out and claimed they were in his vehicle. He put his left arm around her neck and started to punch her with his right fist. When she turned her head he punched her in the cheek.
She stopped the vehicle and put it in park as he continued to punch her in the face. The other victim tried to pull her out through the passenger side door. He jumped into the driver’s seat and tried to get the car keys, which were still in the ignition.
“I punched him in the face as he punched me,” she said describing how she fought back to get the keys. Eventually she was able to remove them from the ignition. The women ran away, but he tackled her and she landed on her stomach. He was able to get the keys and drove away.
An officer testified that when he and a second officer went to the vehicle Pfab refused to put up his hands and would not get out. After the door opened, Pfab “just sat there with his head down,” he said. Pfab, who smelled of alcohol, was taken out of the vehicle and put into a police car.
Pfab testified, explaining he was at the Ski Lodge before leaving with a couple girls and talking in a parking lot. He knew he had a physical altercation with someone and remembered someone laughing, “probably at me,” he said because he was so intoxicated.
He got away from that group of people and went into the lodge. The next thing he remembered was getting into the vehicle with the women. He thought they were from the same group he was talking to earlier.
Pfab remembered someone was going to “steal my truck and I needed to do something.” He took a swing at the driver, he admitted.
“I thought they were taking my ride,” he testified. He recalled a struggle for the keys and getting hit in the face. He didn’t remember driving the vehicle at all, and his next memory is of flashing lights and the cops outside the car.
