CLEARFIELD – A Morrisdale woman accused of harassing several men who were cutting timber in Cooper Township was recently in Clearfield County Court again.
Patricia J. Dunzik, 66, 102 Krasinski Farms Rd., Morrisdale, is charged with simple assault, recklessly endangering another person, resisting arrest, defiant trespass, hunt without securing license and harassment.
The charges stem from an incident on the morning of Nov. 25 when Dunzik who had a rifle, allegedly yelled at the men to get off her land. The commonwealth filed a motion to revoke her bail due to a second incident and her hearing was held during a session of motions court.
Dave Anderson testified that he was one of the loggers working with Walker Lumber when Dunzik approached them on Nov. 25. He said he was working with some others on that same land when she approached him on Dec. 26. She told him he was trespassing and showed him a paper from 1995 that supposedly proved she had purchased the land from her brothers.
“Did you stop?” asked First Assistant District Attorney Beau Grove.
Anderson said they did stop working because “the last time she had a gun with her.” He added that they haven’t been back to that site.
During cross examination by Dunzik’s attorney, David Mason, Anderson said she did not threaten them that day, but she did yell at them, telling them to get out.
Mason also asked if they talked about hunting.
Anderson replied yes and added that she commented that she didn’t have a gun because her guns were taken away from her after the other incident.
The defense called Dunzik as their only witness.
She testified that her dog was barking on Dec. 26 and then took off running from her home. She went after it and saw the men working. She talked with them about hunting and she agreed she said she didn’t have any guns because “that little bastard said I pointed a gun at him.”
While talking to Anderson she did ask his name, which she wrote on a piece of paper. She denied telling him to leave and showing him any paper regarding a sale in 1995. She claimed she purchased the property in the 1970’s.
Judge Fredric J. Ammerman asked her if she told them she bought the property in 1974. She said yes. Ammerman reminded her that in a previous civil case he ruled that she was not the owner of that property. There is also a pending civil action to remove her, her husband and their cows from the property, he said.
Mason in his closing arguments stated that she was not harassing Anderson but was simply retrieving her dog. It was one of the conditions of her bail that she not have contact with any of the employees of Walker Lumber, but Mason pointed out that Anderson is a contractor and not an employee of that company.
He asked Ammerman not to revoke her bail. He suggested she be told not to talk with her brothers until their issues are resolved.
Grove asked that she leave the loggers alone so they can finish timbering.
“Why is she telling them it’s her property unless she was asking them to leave?” he asked.
When Ammerman asked Anderson how long it will take to finish the job, he replied about six weeks once they get back there.
Ammerman ruled to reschedule the hearing for two months to allow the job to be completed.
After he said this, Dunzik started to speak asking why they want “to destroy everything we’ve worked for. . .” Ammerman stopped her. He stated she is her own worst enemy and warned her he was very close to revoking her bail. She was then quiet.
According to the affidavit of probable cause in this case, the victim said he worked for Walker Lumber Company and they had a contract to log on the Edward Krasinski property. While they were there, Dunzik walked up to them with a hunting rifle. She began to yell, telling them to get off the land. As she yelled at them, she was moving the rifle back and forth vertically, pointing it in the direction of one of the man’s legs. This alarmed the workers so they contacted police.
Krasinski, the property owner, told police that he approached her during the incident and told her to leave his property several times, but she refused. Krasinski noted that his land was posted.
The rifle taken from Dunzik was found to have three rounds of ammunition in a clip inserted into the rifle. She said she was there to bear hunt but she did not have a bear hunting license. She was wearing an orange vest.
When she was placed under arrest, it took physical force to place her in handcuffs. She then refused to move so it took several troopers to carry her to the patrol vehicle. Once at the station, again she would not move and had to be carried into the station.