Jeannette man accused of threatening firefighters trying to rescue him from SUV crash
A Jeannette man was arraigned Tuesday on police accusations that he threatened firefighters who were trying to rescue him from an SUV crash in the city last month.
Louie A. Bevilacqua, 25, is charged with driving under the influence, terroristic threats, reckless endangerment, resisting arrest, drug possession and related offenses.
Police said they were called at 6:30 p.m. Oct. 4 to South 12th Street and Penn Avenue, where firefighters were trying to stabilize an SUV that had flipped onto its driver’s side. Bevilacqua was inside the SUV yelling at firefighters, threatening them and kicking the rear windshield, according to court papers.
As firefighters started cutting the front windshield in an effort to rescue him, Bevilacqua put his upper body out a passenger-side window and tried to punch a firefighter who was on a ladder, police said. Officers were able to pull him out of the SUV while three firefighters held onto it to prevent it from rolling over, according to court papers.
Witnesses later told police Bevilacqua got out of the SUV immediately after crashing into a parked vehicle and tried to push it upright before climbing back inside. Police said Bevilacqua appeared to be under the influence of drugs and continued threatening and yelling at officers and staff at Excela Health Westmoreland Hospital.
Investigators said they seized suspected marijuana and an “unknown yellow substance” from his pants. Bevilacqua’s drivers license is suspended, police said. Lab results showed that he had trace amounts of alcohol and cannabis in his blood, according to the complaint.
Bevilacqua was being held in the Westmoreland County Prison on $50,000 bail. He did not have an attorney listed in online court records. A Nov. 18 preliminary hearing is set.
He has a criminal history in Westmoreland County dating to 2015, according to online court records. A few cases, involving charges of assault, false reports and driving without a license, are pending.
Renatta Signorini is a TribLive reporter covering breaking news, crime, courts and Jeannette. She has been working at the Trib since 2005. She can be reached at rsignorini@triblive.com.
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