4 accused in Crabtree baseball bat assault held without bond

A district judge denied bond Monday for four people accused in a baseball-bat beating that severely injured a Crabtree man outside his home late Sunday.

Sarah A. Miller, 31, and Matthew J. White, 20, both of Greensburg, and Devon M. Allen, 25, and Treavair A. Green, 18, of Pittsburgh, are charged by state police with aggravated and simple assault and two counts of criminal conspiracy in connection with the alleged 11:48 p.m. assault on Route 119 in the Salem Township village.

New Kensington District Judge Frank J. Pallone Jr., who was acting in place of Washington Township District Judge Jason Buczak, arraigned the four Monday and denied each bond, reporting they were “a danger to the community,” according to court records.

Trooper Stephen Rowe reported the victim suffered fractures to his skull, ribs and left hand and multiple lacerations, including one above his left eye. He was going in and out of consciousness as he was interviewed before being taken to Forbes Regional Hospital in Monroeville. Rowe said he underwent surgery there.

Paramedics from Mutual Aid Ambulance treated the victim at the scene, police said.

State police spokesman Trooper Stephen Limani said investigators indicated the assault apparently was a case of mistaken identity. A relative of the victim apparently was the intended target of the attack, Limani said.

Rowe reported in court documents the victim told troopers he did not know the four people who attacked him.

“The victim related that he walked outside of his residence to clean up trash and was jumped by four unknown individuals. He related when he came around, he walked down the street and knocked on a door for help,” Rowe wrote.

According to Rowe, troopers searched the area past midnight for the suspects but could not locate them. A surveillance video was obtained showing a 2006 Chevrolet Malibu in a nearby parking lot registered to Miller with four occupants inside pulling into the area at the time of the assault.

“Upon our arrival at Miller’s address at 317 Westminster Ave. in Greensburg, we were able to locate all four individuals viewed in the surveillance at the scene of the assault,” Rowe wrote in court documents.

“The key component in all of this appears to be getting hold of that video surveillance. It provided us with one of the suspect’s addresses and we were able to arrest all four suspects at that address,” Limani said.

Police did not give a motive for the assault. Limani said the case remains under investigation.

Greensburg Police also charged Miller on Monday with disorderly conduct and simple assault after her involvement “in a large street fight” about 7:42 p.m. Saturday near her home with another woman, Dawn Johnston. 40, and a juvenile female. The fight took place in the vicinity of West Third Street and Westminster Avenue, according to city patrolman Kerry Dieter.

Police said they were called to the scene and had to break up the fight. Dieter reported in court documents that Miller and Johnston “have an ongoing feud.” Johnston is facing identical charges while the juvenile is charged with disorderly conduct.

Miller and Johnston were charged via mailed summons. It remains uncertain whether Saturday’s fight had anything to do with the assault Sunday.

Court dockets indicated Miller was the only defendant who has hired an attorney. Her attorney, Paul Toohey of Mt. Pleasant, did not immediately return a telephone call seeking comment.

Preliminary hearings are scheduled Aug. 26 before Buczak.