Charges laid after youths punched, hit with pole

A 37-year-old McDonnel Street man faces charges including assault with a weapon after a dispute involving a driver and two youths on bicycles Tuesday. A motorist was pulling out of a parking lot of a local convenience store when the two youths rode in front of his vehicle, police said. That prompted a verbal altercation that led to the driver chasing the youths on foot.

Later, the accused located the youths at their home and allegedly punched one of them before grabbing a pole and striking one of them with it, police stated. He allegedly threatened to rob them and assault them in their sleep. The victim’s mother later confronted the accused, who allegedly threatened to sexually assault the female, police stated.

Justin Hartley was also charged with three counts of uttering threats and a single count of failing to comply with probation and is to appear in court Sept. 20.