DA Zappala's son charged with assault in connection with alleged domestic dispute
The son of Allegheny County District Attorney Stephen A. Zappala Jr. has been arrested in connection with a domestic incident, police said.
Stephen John Zappala, 31, of Ben Avon Heights, was charged by Ohio Township police Sunday with simple assault and harassment, court records show.
He was arraigned early Monday and has a preliminary hearing scheduled for Aug. 10, court records show. He was released on a nonmonetary bond.
Ohio Township police Officer Kevin Friess said he was notified Sunday of a domestic dispute “at a known location” in Ben Avon Heights, according to a criminal complaint filed in the case.
“On arrival, a known commonwealth victim made an allegation he/she was injured by the defendant,” Friess said in the complaint. “There was physical evidence to substantiate the allegation viewed by law enforcement.”
Further physical evidence and victim testimony will be presented during court proceedings, he wrote.
The DA’s office, in accordance with its policy, has referred the matter “to an outside agency for handling,” First Assistant District Attorney Rebecca D. Spangler said.
Justin Vellucci is a TribLive reporter covering crime and public safety in Pittsburgh and Allegheny County. A longtime freelance journalist and former reporter for the Asbury Park (N.J.) Press, he worked as a general assignment reporter at the Trib from 2006 to 2009 and returned in 2022. He can be reached at jvellucci@triblive.com.
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