Indiana County man accused of shooting at woman indicted for gun possession

An Indiana County man accused of shooting at a woman who had filed a protection from abuse petition against him has been indicted by a federal grand jury on charges of gun possession while subject to a PFA.

Todd Matthew Jakosh, 33, was named in a one-count indictment handed up Tuesday in U.S. District Court.

On Aug. 7, 2020, Jakosh had a gun even though he knew he was the subject of a PFA, the grand jury said.

According to a criminal complaint, Indiana police were dispatched to a Taco Bell in the borough on that day for a report of a domestic incident with shots fired. The victim was an employee of the restaurant. She told officers that Jakosh got out of his car, shot at her and then drove away toward town.

Police took him into custody shortly afterward and charged him in state court with aggravated assault, aggravated assault with a deadly weapon, carrying a gun without a license, discharging a gun into a building and several other offenses.

At the time of the shooting, Jakosh was subject to a PFA from the woman he targeted.

Under federal law, anyone subject to a PFA is not allowed to have guns or ammunition.

“This important federal law protects victims of domestic violence, and it will be aggressively enforced against abusers who illegally possess guns,” acting U.S. Attorney Stephen Kaufman said in a statement.

Jakosh will be prosecuted in federal court for the gun possession while the Indiana County District Attorney’s Office will pursue the assault charges in state court.