PUNXSUTAWNEY BOROUGH, Pa. (EYT) — A Punxsutawney man is accused of groping a 14-year-old girl in Punxsutawney Borough.
According to a criminal complaint, the Punxsutawney Borough Police were dispatched to an animal complaint on the 200 block of South Penn Street on May 26.
The caller stated a male was threatening to hurt a dog and feed it chicken bones before they had an altercation. When officers arrived on the scene, the caller stated a man named Jason was abusing a pit bull dog by kicking it. She told police she observed him drinking beers and coming onto their property. She said he kept coming onto the property with the unchained dog, the complaint states.
The caller further stated that she approached Jason because of his behavior towards the dog and that’s when he groped her breast, the complaint continues.
The victim is a 14-year-old juvenile female, the complaint notes.
The victim informed police Jason was inside the residence directly behind a house on S. Penn Street. She described him as an older male bald with a beard and a white shirt and gym shorts. Officers knocked on the door of the residence to speak with the described male. He answered the door, and Officer Maruca told him he needed to speak with him about the altercation earlier and about the dog. The male was “immediately irritated” by Officer Maruca’s presence, the complaint notes.
The male, who was later identified as Jason Roy, stated the dog was not his, so it wasn’t his problem. Officer Maruca then said, “Jason, you can’t leave a dog outside a residence without a leash in the borough.” Roy was reportedly “shocked” Officer Maruca knew his name and slammed the door in his face, according to the complaint.
Roy later opened the door again and said, “This is not my dog. I don’t want this (expletive) thing.” Roy then reached down and threw the dog out of the house at Officer Maruca. The dog, which did not have any collar or device to keep it from straying beyond the premises, started running off into a busy nearby alley. When told to retrieve the dog, Roy refused and slammed the door a second time. This behavior was “extremely strange for such a minor incident,” the complaint states.
Officer Maruca tried getting the dog back to the property when he observed Roy walking away, heading west on the neighboring street. When asked where he was going, Roy immediately took off running. A short foot chase ensued before Roy was apprehended near a porch on South Jefferson Street, the complaint continues.
Roy was positively identified and stated he had warrants. He was transported back to Punxsutawney Borough Police Station before being taken to Jefferson County Jail, the complaint states.
Police obtained written statements from both the victim and a known male, who had both written Roy had groped or touched the 14-year-old juvenile female victim’s breast. After receiving this information, the victim was re-interviewed to find out if this touch was sexual by nature. The victim stated Roy pulled her in towards him and grabbed her chest. She stated he has made sexual comments about her body in the past referencing her breasts, the complaint indicates.
The victim said she wasn’t afraid of Roy but felt threatened by what happened. Roy also wanted to give her a laptop to come over to his place. The victim said she has even caught him trying to spy on her, the complaint notes.
Roy was charged with the following:
- Corruption Of Minors — Defendant Age 18 or Above, Felony 3
- Indecent Assault-W/O Cons Of Other, Misdemeanor 2
- Ind Asslt Person Less 16 Yrs Age, Misdemeanor 2
- Evading Arrest or Detention on Foot, Misdemeanor 2
- Disorderly Conduct Engage In Fighting, Misdemeanor 3
- Resisting/Interfering with officer — General off, Summary 1
- Resisting/Interfering w/ Officer — Fail Produce ID, Summary 5
- Abandon Any Dog Within Commonwealth, Summary
- Confinement and Control — Firmly Secured by Collar or Chain, Summary
- Confined Within Premises of the Owner, Summary
- Harassment — Subject Other to Physical Contact, Summary
A preliminary hearing is scheduled for Friday, July 19, at 9:30 a.m. with Judge Mizerock presiding.