Harmar police file felony charge against man accused of firing pistol inside house

Harmar police arrested a man Saturday on charges that he intentionally fired a pistol inside a home during a dispute with his wife.

Alex Radovitch, 58, of the 100 block of Orchard Avenue in Harmar was charged with a felony count of discharging a firearm into an occupied structure along with a count of simple assault.

Radovitch was detained in the Allegheny County Jail in lieu of a $25,000 cash bond after his arrest. He was released from custody Thursday after his bail was changed to nonmonetary, according to court records.

He faces a preliminary hearing Monday before District Judge David Sosovicka.

Police wrote in Radovitch’s arrest papers that officers were dispatched to his home about 9 p.m. Saturday after his wife called 911 to report that he had fired a gun inside their home.

The woman fled, called 911 and was waiting outside when officers arrived, according to a criminal complaint.

Officers knocked on a window to get Radovitch’s attention after they spotted him sitting on a bed, police said.

Police saw him walk out of the bedroom and were waiting for him when he came out the front door, the complaint said.

He was ordered at gunpoint to lie face down on the street while officers handcuffed him and took him into custody, police said.

The woman told police they were in bed discussing her “dislike” for his drinking when he pulled a pistol out of a drawer and fired it into the floor, the complaint said.

She told police her husband intentionally fired the gun and she showed officers where the bullet had struck the bedroom floor, police said.

Police confiscated three handguns from the home, the complaint said.