MORGANTOWN, PA — A 70-year-old man faces aggravated assault and other charges after allegedly striking another man in the head with a metal baseball bat during an altercation outside a Sheetz convenience store in Caernarvon Township.
John P. McNeill, 70, was arrested Oct. 9 following the confrontation at the Sheetz located at 3830 Main Street in Morgantown, according to the Caernarvon Township Police Department.
Officer Samuel Frank responded to the business at approximately 1 p.m. after receiving a report of a disturbance in progress.
Upon arrival, Frank observed approximately five or six people gathered near the store’s north-side entrance. The store manager reported that one man had struck another with a baseball bat and attempted to leave in a black Dodge Ram pickup truck.
Police identified McNeill as the suspect and found the victim sitting on a curb with blood on his face and lips and on the ground nearby.
The victim told investigators that McNeill had retrieved an aluminum baseball bat from his truck during an argument and struck him in the head. Frank observed a fresh wound on the top of the victim’s head.
A female witness also reported seeing McNeill attempt to drive away following the confrontation and strike a trailer in the parking lot.
According to police, McNeill acknowledged retrieving the metal bat from his truck and admitted striking the victim. He subsequently surrendered the bat to Frank.
Investigators reviewed surveillance footage that allegedly showed McNeill exiting his vehicle, engaging in a physical confrontation with the victim, and striking him at least twice with the bat.
McNeill was charged with aggravated assault, aggravated assault with a weapon, simple assault, possessing an instrument of crime, disorderly conduct, and recklessly endangering another person.
All suspects, arrestees, and defendants are presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.
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