Leechburg man accused of burglarizing woman's house, pushing her down steps charged with felony

Leechburg police charged a man with burglary and assault after his former girlfriend accused him of breaking into her house and then pushing her down a flight of steps.

Donovan Gary Dwire, 30, of the 300 block of Market Street in Leechburg was charged with a felony count of burglary along with counts of simple assault, reckless endangerment, disorderly conduct, loitering, harassment and criminal mischief.

Dwire was being detained in the Armstrong County Jail in lieu of a $20,000 cash bond, according to court records. He faces a preliminary hearing Jan. 18 before District Judge James Andring.

According to his arrest papers, police responded to a burglary call shortly before midnight Nov. 22 at a home along Kirkpatrick Street.

A woman in the home told police Dwire called that night asking to retrieve some of his possessions, but she told him their son was asleep and that he would have to wait until morning, according to a criminal complaint.

A short time later, Dwire went to the house and broke through the door, the complaint said.

The woman told police he was screaming at her and then pushed her down a flight of steps, the complaint said.

Police said the woman had bruises on her elbow and near her temple from the apparent fall.

She told them that after the assault Dwire took two tool bags that belonged to him and left.

A second officer who responded to the scene found the tool bags outside the house near the woman’s car. They were confiscated as evidence that Dwire had burglarized the woman’s home, police said.

Investigators said they saw chipped paint, dents and splintered wood on multiple parts of the door that appeared to have been caused by tools used to break in.