News

July 25, 2008

Cops: Avoca man stabbed trio

Michael William Hewitt faces five charges from the July 5 incident in Dupont apartment.

By JEN MARCKINI jmarckini@timesleader.com

DUPONT – Borough police on Thursday arrested a man who they say stabbed three people with a blue box cutter and then threatened to use his knife on five others inside a Main Street apartment earlier this month.

Michael William Hewitt, 25, of 535 Main St., Avoca, faces charges of aggravated assault, flight to avoid apprehension, recklessly endangering another person, simple assault and disorderly conduct, according to court records.

Hewitt is accused of stabbing Michael Finn, Adam Frushon and Joseph Gashi at 168 Main St. on July 5, police said. According to an affidavit filed Monday by officer Charles Yarick:

Borough police received a call around 3 a.m. to go to the Main Street apartment for a report of a domestic incident that possibly turned physical. Yarick arrived to find Gashi, who told him he had been stabbed four times by the suspect.

Hewitt was still in Gashi’s upstairs bedroom apartment upon police arrival.

The patrolman also spoke with Frushon, who said he’d been stabbed in his hand. He had to get stitches for his wounds, but was not seriously injured.

Additional officers called to the scene found a third stabbing victim, Finn, inside Gashi’s apartment. Finn was stabbed several times and needed medical attention.

Five others in the apartment were not injured.

Officers noticed large amounts of blood in the apartment leaving a trail from the outdoor back deck, down a couple flight of stairs and onto a concrete sidewalk.

Hewitt ran from police into a creek bed and was found hiding in the brush, police said.

As he was taken into custody, Hewitt, who jumped from Gashi’s second-floor bedroom window, complained of pain in both of his ankles. He was treated at Geisinger Wyoming Valley Medical Center in Plains Township, records state.

Finn and Gashi were taken to Community Medical Center in Scranton for treatment.

According to witnesses’ statements made to police, Hewitt was not provoked in anyway.

Hewitt was arraigned Thursday before District Judge Fred Pierantoni, Pittston, according to court records. Hewitt was taken to Luzerne County Correctional Facility for lack of $10,000 straight bail.

A preliminary hearing is scheduled for July 31 at Central Court.

Jen Marckini, a Times Leader staff writer, can be reached at 829-7210.

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