PUNXSUTAWNEY BOROUGH, Pa. (EYT) – A 54-year-old man is in jail after assaulting his girlfriend’s adult son and abusing a three-month-old puppy at a Punxsutawney residence.
According to court documents, Punxsutawney Borough Police filed criminal charges against 54-year-old Joseph M. Huntington, currently lodged in the Jefferson County Jail in Magisterial District Judge Jacqueline J. Mizerock’s office on Tuesday, March 29.
Huntington faces the following charges:
– Aggravated Assault, Attempts to cause SBI or causes injury with extreme indifference, Felony 1
– Recklessly Endangering Another Person, Misdemeanor 2
– Simple Assault, Misdemeanor 2
– Strangulation, Applying Pressure to Throat or Neck, Misdemeanor 2
– Cruelty to Animals, Misdemeanor 2
According to a criminal complaint, Jefferson County Control received a 9-1-1 call for a domestic situation at a residence on Roberts Street, in Punxsutawney, Jefferson County, on March 26, around 12:34 p.m.
The caller told the dispatcher that Joseph Huntington was assaulting her son. The caller reported that she was not home and that her son called her and told her this, the complaint states.
Jefferson County Control dispatcher took another call for this incident around 12:36 p.m. The caller reported that while she and her husband were traveling down South Penn Street, a little girl was observed running down the road screaming, “Help me please, call the police, he’s going to kill (him),” according to the complaint.
The girl approached their vehicle and pleaded for help. At this point, Huntington came out of the residence and yelled for the girl. Huntington then approached the vehicle, knocked on the window, and stated “the cops are already coming,” the complaint indicates.
The caller told the girl to run, but Huntington had grabbed the girl and went back into the house, the complaint notes.
Once on the scene, police observed Huntington on the front porch talking on his cellular phone and overheard him stating to the effect, “The cops are here. I am probably going to jail,” the complaint states.
Police reported there were two juvenile children in the living room of the residence. One female child was “crying uncontrollably” and a male juvenile was “also extremely upset,” and both told the officers they wanted to go home.
Huntington told police that he was watching his girlfriend’s 20-year-old son, who has special needs. Huntington attempted to take (the victim)’s phone from him, but he refused to give it to him. Huntington stated that his children are not allowed to have phones while they are visiting him and that he believes (the victim) shouldn’t be allowed to have his phone either. Huntington claims that (the victim) “torments” his children with his phone, according to the complaint.
Police located the victim and brought him outside to talk.
Once outside, police asked the victim – who the officer noted was “extremely distressed” – to tell him what happened. The victim went on to tell the officer that he was in his bedroom sitting on his bed when Huntington came in and tried to take his phone from him. The victim stated that his mother told him he could keep it. When he did not give Huntington the phone, Huntington “took (the victim’s) three-month-old puppy out of his arms and slammed the puppy as hard as he could to the floor,” the complaint indicates.
The victim became more emotional as he explained the events to police and said that he thought “Huntington broke the dog’s neck and killed it,” the complaint notes.
According to the complaint, after throwing the dog to the floor, Huntington (5’10” tall, 236 lbs.) again turned his attention to the victim (5’06” tall, 150 lbs.). The victim reported that Huntington pushed him back onto the bed and began to punch him in the chest, stomach, and arms. Huntington then grabbed him by the throat and began to choke him. The male juvenile tried to intervene by attempting to get between Huntington and the victim, but he pushed the juvenile out of the way, telling him to mind his own business. As Huntington did this, the victim was able to get away from Huntington, run into the juvenile’s bedroom, and close the door.
At this point, the victim was able to call his mother to tell her what was going on. She told him that she was calling the police. The victim exited the bedroom and was confronted by Huntington. The victim told him that his mother is calling the police. Huntington became furious and grabbed ahold of the victim’s hoodie. Huntington then threw him to the floor with “a tremendous amount of force” and the victim landed face down, the complaint indicates.
As the victim lay on the floor, Huntington jumped and landed (knee or elbow) with all of his body weight on the victim’s back, according to the complaint.
The victim told police that he did not need medical treatment, the complaint notes.
Huntington was then placed under arrest and put in the back of a patrol vehicle.
Police talked to the male juvenile, who confirmed the victim’s story as he described and reenacted what he witnessed.
While back at the station, police observed and photographed markings on the victim’s body and throat.
The victim was then released to his mother, and the two juveniles were released to their mother at the station.
Police provided the victim’s mother with PFA (Protection From Abuse) information. She indicated that she was taking the victim to the hospital.
At 2:14 p.m. on March 26, Huntington was released to the Jefferson County Probation Office.
Huntington waived his preliminary hearing in front of Judge Mizerock on April 5.
The case was transferred to the Jefferson County Court of Common Pleas.
He remains lodged in the Jefferson County Jail on $40,000.00 monetary bail.
No information was provided on the condition of the victim’s dog.
According to court documents, Huntington is currently on probation stemming from an incident that occurred in November of 2021. According to a criminal complaint, he allegedly threatened to kill a woman and attempted to block her from leaving after a Protection From Abuse (PFA) order hearing at the Jefferson County Courthouse.
In that case, he pleaded guilty on January 5, 2022, to a first-degree misdemeanor charge of Terroristic Threats W/Intent To Terrorize Another and a third-degree misdemeanor charge of Harassment. He was also ordered to attend and successfully complete the Anger Management Program, according to court documents.