Penn Township man accused of stalking ex-girlfriend after breakup

A Penn Township man was arrested Tuesday after allegedly telephoning and sending his ex-girlfriend dozens of unwanted text messages, stalking her and damaging her new boyfriend’s truck.

Joshuwa Petrill, 38, was arrested by North Huntingdon Police on charges of retaliation against a witness, stalking and three counts of harassment related to multiple incidents that allegedly began in July, when his relationship with the woman ended.

Petrill was arraigned before District Judge Mark Bilik and ordered held in the Westmoreland County Prison after failing to post $20,000 bond.

North Huntingdon Officer Jay Kettren alleges in court documents that the former girlfriend, who lives in North Huntingdon, has been the victim of “increasingly controlling behaviors” committed by Petrill since July, including taking her car and refusing to return it, coming to her home unannounced on repeated occasions, breaking windows at her home, and cutting the valve stems off of her tires.

Police said the woman recently obtained a protection-from-abuse order against Petrill. However, court records said the incidents have escalated with him “calling and texting her more than 40 times” when she was at her boyfriend’s home near New Kensington, informing her he was watching her during her child’s out-of-town sporting event and leaving identifying stickers “with his motorcycle racing number and name on it” attached to her car window when she shopped locally.

Recently, Kettren reported the woman’s boyfriend also discovered his pickup truck was keyed after the victim had received a threatening text from Petrill’s telephone number, stating “Nice black truck … hate to see something happen to it.”

And last weekend, a friend who left his vehicle in the woman’s driveway found one of the car’s windows was broken out, police said.

Petrill’s preliminary hearing is Oct. 16.