Fired Tarentum laborer pleads guilty to harassment in alleged attack on teen worker

A former Tarentum public works laborer charged with attacking and threatening a teenage summer worker in 2019 has pleaded guilty to a lesser charge.

Borough police charged Tim Dzugan, 56, on July 30 with strangulation, simple assault and harassment in connection with the alleged incident last July.

According to court records, Dzugan pleaded guilty to the summary charge of harassment and was sentenced to 90 days probation. He was also ordered to attend anger management classes.

The charges of strangulation and simple assault, both misdemeanors, were withdrawn.

“Based on the facts of the case and after discussion with the police and the victim, we decided that this was an appropriate resolution to this matter,” said Mike Manko, spokesman for Allegheny County District Attorney Stephen A. Zappala Jr.

Dzugan’s attorney, Scott Bitar, could not be reached for comment Wednesday.

Police alleged Dzugan got into a physical altercation with the 17-year-old summer worker at the borough’s street garage. He was alleged to have thrown the boy to the ground, choked him and threatened to kill him.

According to police, Dzugan allegedly told the public works director, who arrived at the garage after the incident, that the teen had insulted him and “got in his face,” and that he put the boy on the ground and “told him to show some respect.”

Dzugan, previously a code enforcement officer for Tarentum, had been a public works laborer from September 2012 until council voted to fire him following the charges last August.