CLEARFIELD – A Munson man, who was one of three people charged following a stabbing incident last fall in Clearfield, was scheduled for a preliminary hearing Wednesday.
Joshua R. Neptune, 30, is charged by Lawrence Township police with flight to avoid apprehension, hindering apprehension (two counts) and manufacture, delivery or possession with intent to manufacture or deliver, all felonies, and 28 misdemeanor drug violations.
Neptune was taken into custody in early May, and waived his right to a preliminary hearing Wednesday during centralized court. He’s being held in Clearfield County Jail in lieu of $50,000 bail.
The charges stem from a stabbing incident that occurred at 11:47 a.m. Sept. 18 at Golden Rod Storage, Clearfield, according to the affidavit of probable cause filed with the office of Magisterial District Judge Mike Morris.
A 30-year-old Clearfield man said he attempted to confront his ex-girlfriend, Lacey Dawn Hinks, in order to retrieve a personal item when she “attacked” him with a knife, cutting his forearm twice.
The victim said Hinks was in a black Chevrolet Cruze with the back window broken out, and that Alen E. Erskine and Neptune were in the vehicle with her. He had also left the scene and was walking in the direction of Leonard Street.
He said they fled on U.S. Route 322 or possibly on state Route 879 towards the Industrial Park where they had used his credit card to book a room at the Hampton Inn, Clearfield.
Upon arrival in the area, Officer Levi Olson located the victim on 21st Street near the Clearfield County Jail, and also conducted a follow-up interview the next day upon review of surveillance footage of the incident.
The victim said he and Hinks had broken up approximately one week earlier, and she had refused to return his credit card. He said she recently used it to book a room at the Hampton Inn.
He said as he walked on Daisy Street towards Clearfield, he observed Hinks with Erskine and Neptune, they pulled into Golden Rod Storage and he approached them in order to retrieve his credit card.
Hinks reportedly “charged” him with a folding knife that had an approximate four-inch blade in her hand. Then, he said she “jabbed” the knife towards him, slashing his forearm twice.
He said he threw a rock in Hinks’ direction, and she tried to get Erskine to exit the vehicle and fight him. He said when Hinks charged him again, he threw another rock towards her.
The victim said Hinks walked back to the vehicle, and tried to get Erskine and Neptune to fight him. When she came back towards him a third time, he threw another rock and it broke the back window of the vehicle.
He said he continued to throw rocks until Hinks, Erskine and Neptune fled, and he called 911 as he walked away from the scene. It was noted that during the first interview, Olson observed two lacerations on the victim’s right forearm.
During his 911 call, Olson said the victim refused a medical evaluation. However, he summoned emergency personnel to the scene, and they convinced the victim to undergo an evaluation and treatment at Penn Highlands Clearfield.
As part of the investigation, Olson learned Erskine was wanted by the Clearfield County Sheriff’s Office and that Hinks was on supervised bail through Clearfield County Probation. Probation issued a detainer for Hinks as a result of the incident.
Olson and Police Chief Doug Clark checked area hotels as well as Hinks’ last known address, but she hadn’t been there since December of 2019. They also checked a possible location in Curwensville with negative results.
Following the search, Olson returned to Golden Rod Storage to review surveillance of the incident. It showed a vehicle as it pulled into the facility and parked, the victim as he approached and the subsequent altercation as he had described to police.
Several township officers responded to McDonald’s, located along the Clearfield-Shawville Highway, for a report of a possible stolen vehicle and a witness told police Hinks and a male dropped the keys off in the restaurant and left.
The witness contacted Hinks via Facebook asking why the vehicle was there and what happened to it. With permission, Olson reviewed the conversation in which Hinks claimed the victim confronted them, tried to fight Erskine and smashed the window with a rock.
She reportedly admitted to having stabbed the victim, and that they had to leave the car there because both she and Erskine were wanted by authorities. She said they’d seen police at the Hampton Inn and McDonald’s was the closest and safest place to leave it.
Olson had the vehicle impounded to search its contents for the knife, drugs and paraphernalia. The search allegedly turned up the weapon used in the assault, a pair of metal knuckles and a cinch sack with a large assortment of lighters.
A wooden box marked “Lacey” and “Bucky” contained one methylphenidate hydrochloride tablet, a glass bottle with a white crystal substance, a small knife, a plastic card with residue, razor blades and a bundle of wax paper wraps.
A black plastic box contained a spoon and tweezers with residue, a package of small plastic baggies, cotton swabs, syringes and rolling paper, according to the affidavit of probable cause.
The tool bag allegedly contained a plastic jar of white powder, a metal tray, tweezers, foil and a pipe with residue as well as a butane lighter, a container of syringes and a package of small plastic baggies.
A camouflage bag contained scraping tools, two digital scales, a large assortment of plastic baggies and a glass bong and pipe, both of which had residue, police said.
The glass jar of white powder and glass bottle of a white crystal substance were logged as evidence and prepared to be sent to the Pennsylvania State Police Erie Crime Lab for analysis.