PUNXSUTAWNEY, Pa. (EYT) – Charges been filed against a Punxsutawney man following an incident in which he was observed breaking into a car and then struggling with a woman over a baby in a car seat.
According to court documents, Punxsutawney Borough Police filed criminal charges against 21-year-old Ulysses Saldana in Magisterial District Judge Jacqueline J. Mizerock’s office on Friday, April 13.
Punxsutawney Borough Police were dispatched to the area of South Penn Street and Union Street, in Punxsutawney, Jefferson County, on Sunday, April 3, around 10:40 p.m., for a report of a domestic situation, according to a criminal complaint.
Officers made contact with the caller, a known female witness, who stated that she was in her bedroom when she heard “a lot of loud noises and banging.” She looked out her window and observed a man, Ulysses Saldana, grabbing a diaper bag out of the driver’s side rear door of a small car. The witness then saw a female victim approaching the vehicle as Saldana was opening the rear passenger’s side door of the vehicle and pulling out an infant seat. The caller stated the victim yelled “please don’t” and grabbed the car seat as the two parties struggled over it, the complaint states.
As the struggle continued, Saldana ended up with possession of the car seat and ran with it when he fell and the seat hit the ground, at which point a baby was heard crying. The victim then grabbed the seat and walked into the apartment. As the victim came back outside, the witness asked the female if the baby was okay, and she responded they were alright. The witness stated she then called 9-1-1, the complaint indicates.
Police then approached the apartment on Pleasant Alley.
As police walked up the sidewalk, the victim exited the apartment and had obviously been crying. She stated her boyfriend was intoxicated and was yelling and kicking his car after an argument. Police asked if there was an infant involved, and she stated yes. The victim also told police she did not believe the baby was harmed, the complaint notes.
As police made contact with Saldana, he invited them into the residence as police inquired into the baby’s well-being. Saldana led police upstairs to the child’s bedroom, where the baby was asleep in a crib. As an officer moved the blanket, the child woke up and began crying. Saldana picked him up, and the child calmed down. There was no apparent injury to the child, and Saldana stated that he “set him down as he fell,” and the child was in his carrier, the complaint states.
As police spoke with Saldana, an officer was in the bedroom’s doorway, which was next to the bathroom. The bathroom door was open and on the floor, in plain view, was a small bag of marijuana and drug paraphernalia. The officer asked Saldana if he had a medical card, and he replied he did not. Saldana also indicated he was on probation for a previous DUI conviction, the complaint indicates.
He faces the following charges:
– Disorderly Conduct – Engage In Fighting, Misdemeanor 3
– Disorderly Conduct – Unreasonable Noise, Misdemeanor 3
– Disorderly Conduct – Hazardous/Physical Offense, Misdemeanor 3
– Public Drunkenness and Similar Misconduct
– Marijuana – Small Amount Personal Use, Misdemeanor
– Use/Possession of Drug Paraphernalia, Misdemeanor
A preliminary hearing is set for 9:15 a.m. on Friday, May 6, in front of Judge Mizerock.