Witness: Man fired pistol at twins from barstool at Woodpecker's in Upper Burrell

A bartender testified Tuesday that Daniel Moles sipped bourbon at Woodpeckers Pub and Grub in Upper Burrell for several hours on the evening of Nov. 13 and chatted with customers before aiming a pistol at twin brothers seated across the bar and firing two shots, killing one of them.

District Judge Cheryl Peck-Yakopec ordered Moles, 62, of Dogwood Lane, Upper Burrell, to stand trial for criminal homicide in connection with the shooting death of Randy Jenereaux, 31.

Moles also was ordered to stand trial on a charge of attempted criminal homicide that was requested Tuesday during his preliminary hearing. The charge was added at the request of Westmoreland County Assistant District Attorney Judith Petrush.

Tiffany McCormick testified she was tending bar during the 5 p.m. to 2:30 a.m. shift and that “Danny,” whom she knew as a regular customer, already was there when she arrived.

She served him two, roughly 2-ounce shots of straight Jim Beam whiskey during a four-hour period but did not know if another bartender working that night served Moles any alcohol. The other bartender did not testify.

“He was talking to everyone like he normally did,” she said, noting that at one point Moles switched from drinking whiskey to ordering water.

McCormick testified that before the shooting, the Jenereaux brothers were seated at the bend of the horseshoe-shaped bar, drinking beer and eating nachos.

She said Moles was across the bar from them toward the end of one of the legs of the horseshoe.

“I was standing at the register and heard a loud bang,” she said. “I was really confused. There was broken glass, and I saw Danny sitting there with a gun. I ducked down and heard a second shot.”

Related

• Victim identified in Upper Burrell bar shooting; suspect jailed
• Police: Brother tried to get twin to hospital after being shot at Upper Burrell bar

McCormick said customers fled from the bar. She called 911 when she saw several customers disarm Moles and restrain him.

She testified that the brothers ran out of the building through a door near where they were seated immediately after the first shot was fired, leaving a trail of blood behind them.

Moles’ public defender, Gregory Cecchetti, asked McCormick several times whether she saw Moles and the Jenereauxes arguing or have any physical contact, or whether Moles got into a verbal or physical dispute with anybody else at the bar.

She answered “No” to each of the questions, adding: “I did not see or hear anything.”

Investigators said in the criminal complaint charging Moles that he and the Jenereaux brothers did not know each other and did not have any interaction at the bar.

Upper Burrell police Chief Kenneth Pate, who filed the charges against Moles, estimated that Moles was seated about 25 feet from the Jenereaux brothers at roughly a 45-degree angle when he fired the shots from a Kimber .45-caliber semiautomatic pistol. He said the gun was legally registered to Moles.

The Westmoreland County coroner said Jenereaux died from a gunshot wound to the chest and ruled his death a homicide.

Pate testified that he viewed a 35-second video clip from one of 10 security cameras installed in the bar that shows the shooting take place.

Video from the cameras was stored on a DVR and is being reviewed by Westmoreland County detectives, who were asked by Pate to assist with the case. The recording system does not capture audio.

Pate said the portion of the video he viewed begins with Moles already pointing the weapon at the brothers before pulling the trigger.

He said Moles then “tracked” the two men with the gun as they fled out a door about 6 feet away before firing a second round.

A slug was recovered from the door’s panic bar, the chief said.

Pate said there were no other customers near the two brothers when Moles fired the shots.

After Jenereaux was shot, his twin brother, Andy, tried to rush him to the hospital.

He made it as far as Third Avenue in New Kensington before his brother lost consciousness. New Kensington Ambulance Service responded and began treating Jenereaux, but he died at the scene, according to Moles’ arrest papers.

Jenereaux attended the hearing but was not called to testify.

Afterward, he said he is heartbroken over the loss of his brother.

“I lived with him; I worked with him. We did everything together,” he said. “We were with each other even before we were born.”

Jenereaux said he still can’t understand what could have motivated Moles to shoot at them.

“We didn’t do anything to him,” he said. “Nothing happened that night that could have led to this.”

Jenereaux said he is thankful for the outpouring of support from people in the community who rallied behind the family after their loss.

“Hopefully, (Moles) gets what’s coming to him,” he said.

Investigators did not cite a motive or reason in the complaint for why Moles allegedly began shooting in the bar.

A search of online court records did not show any previous arrests for Moles. He also does not appear to have active social media accounts.

Moles did not speak when reporters asked to comment as he was escorted out of the courtroom by sheriff’s deputies to be transported back to the Westmoreland County Prison, where he has been detained since bail was denied at his arraignment.

He faces a March 30 formal arraignment on the charges.