Johnsonburg man facing charges following firearm-related incident

JOHNSONBURG - A Johnsonburg man is facing charges after allegedly taking a firearm and using it to strike and injure one individual while also firing shots at another.

The incident occurred on July 26 on Clarion Road in Johnsonburg, according to an affidavit of probable cause filed at the office of Magisterial District Judge James L. Martin in Johnsonburg. That affidavit lists Austin Patrick Alpaugh, 20, of 218 Clarion Rd., Johnsonburg, as facing charges in relation to the incident.

An officer with the Johnsonburg Borough Police Department was dispatched to the 100 block of Clarion Road in Johnsonburg on July 26 for several reports of shots being fired and a man laying on the roadway.

The officer met the individual who was reportedly laying in the roadway in the intersection. According to the affidavit, he received a head injury and blood was running down the back of his head. The man alleged that Alpaugh had hit him in the head with something.

Alpaugh was in the area and was called over to the patrol car. Alpaugh reportedly admitted to striking the victim in the head.

During a search incident to arrest, Alpaugh advised he had a marijuana pipe in his right front pants pocket, which was taken into evidence. Upon interviewing Alpaugh, the officer detected a smell of an alcoholic beverage on his breath and Alpaugh admitted to drinking Parrot Bay Rum.

Upon being transported to the station, Alpaugh denied everything about gunshots or other weapons and said he used a brick to hit the victim on the head.

However, through investigation at 218 Clarion Rd., it was determined that Alpaugh had taken a silver and pink .38 S&W revolver from the residence and ran down the road. Numerous people from the residence ran after him. Alpaugh allegedly used the firearm to strike the victim in the head, causing his injuries. According to the affidavit, Alpaugh “then pointed the firearm at his brother several times and then did point it towards him again and pulled the trigger twice, resulting in shots being fired from the gun towards his brother.”

The owner of the residence and firearm was upset and wanted

police to help find the gun.

Another individual admitted to cleaning the firearm and hiding it in a kitchen cupboard. Three loaded .38 cartridges were located in another room, but the two spent cartridges were not found. The firearm was also located in said location.

The S&W .38 revolver, pink and silver, was fully functional and did come back to the proper owner. The gun was secured for evidence.

The following day, Alpaugh’s brother walked another officer through the scene, which matched the camera footage. Video taken from surveillance cameras did show Alpaugh running with a gun in his right hand, stopping, turning around, pointing the weapon down the roadway, and then running again.

Preliminary arraignment for Alpaugh was held before Judge Martin at 11 a.m. on July 28. Alpaugh is facing two seconddegree felony charges of aggravated assault – attempts to cause or causes bodily injury with deadly weapon, a second-degree misdemeanor charge of recklessly endangering another person, a third-degree misdemeanor charge of simple assault, an ungraded misdemeanor charge of use/possession of drug paraphernalia, and a summary charge of purchase, etc. of alcoholic beverage by a minor.

Bail for Alpaugh was set at $250,000 monetary. Unable to post bail, Alpaugh was incarcerated at Elk County Prison.

A preliminary hearing for Alpaugh was scheduled to have been held before Judge Martin on Wednesday.