Police: Punxsy man faces charges after stabbing

JEFFERSON COUNTY, Pa. (WTAJ) — A Punxsutawney man is facing felony charges after police say he stabbed another man in the neck three times.

Bradley Heitzenrater, 34, was arrested after police were called on May 3 to a residence on the 200th block of North Jefferson Street on reports of a stabbing. When police arrived, the victim said that Heitzenrater had stabbed him. The victim told officers Heitzenrater was wearing a plaid shirt and headed towards a Shop’n Save, according to the criminal complaint.

Police made contact with Heitzenrater shortly after. He could not walk in a straight or steady line on his own and his speech was slurred, police noted in the affidavit. Heitzenrater was taken into custody and while in the police cruiser, he allegedly admitted to smoking marijuana earlier in the evening. He also allegedly told police that he wanted to kill the victim, but would also never actually kill anyone, according to the complaint.

After dropping Heitzenrater off at the station, police interviewed two witnesses. They told police that he had come up to them and asked “how do you kill a person,” and told them that he stabbed the victim three times with a screwdriver, police noted in the complaint.

Police noted the victim had two stab wounds, one on his right shoulder and one on his chest, according to Jefferson County EMS. When interviewed, the victim told police that Heitzenrater said he was going to kill the victim while swinging the screwdriver around, according to the affidavit.

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Heitzenrater is now facing a felony charge of aggravated assault – attempts to cause severe bodily injury, a felony charge of aggravated assault with attempts to cause bodily injury with a deadly weapon and other related charges.

He is in the Jefferson County Prison after being unable to post 10% of his $20,000 bail. A preliminary hearing is scheduled for May 16.

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