HUNTINGDON VALLEY, PA — A 54-year-old man is facing multiple charges following an alleged assault in which he reportedly used a bear and mountain lion spray canister on another motorist in Lower Moreland Township, according to police.
Authorities said the incident occurred on September 30, 2024, in the 2500 block of Philmont Avenue. Officers responded to a report that a driver had been pepper-sprayed by the operator of a white truck, who then fled the scene. Witnesses described the suspect’s vehicle as a large white dump truck pulling a yellow trailer.
Investigators said surveillance and witness accounts showed the truck pulling alongside the victims’ vehicle before an orange substance was sprayed from the driver’s side window. The spray struck both the victim and the car, also covering a nearby gas pump.
On October 1, police located the suspect vehicle and identified the driver as 54-year-old Arthur Blaker. According to investigators, Blaker initially denied involvement but later admitted to using a bear and mountain lion spray canister, which was recovered from his vehicle.
Blaker was charged with simple assault, operating an unregistered vehicle, operating a vehicle without required financial responsibility, operating a vehicle without valid inspection, and disorderly conduct.
All charges are allegations, and a suspect, arrestee, or defendant is presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.
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