Greensburg man gets jail time for grabbing girl, 9, by throat
A Greensburg man pleaded guilty Wednesday to a charge of child endangerment for a physical altercation in September with a 9-year-old girl.
Westmoreland County Common Pleas Court Judge Christopher Feliciani sentenced Roger E. Russell Jr., 64, to nine-to-23 months in jail as part of a plea bargain in which prosecutors dismissed more serious charges of strangulation and simple assault.
Police contend that on Sept. 9 Russell grabbed the girl by her throat as she attempted to leave an apartment following an argument. According to court records, the fight started when the girl refused to return a pet bird to its cage.
Rich Cholodofsky is a TribLive reporter covering Westmoreland County government, politics and courts. He can be reached at rcholodofsky@triblive.com.
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