Wilkes-Barre City police on Bowman Street for a reported stabbing Tuesday night. Courtesy of Bob Kadluboski
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WILKES-BARRE — City police arrested a Nanticoke man on allegations he stabbed another man during a chaotic scene involving juveniles and a grandmother on Bowman Street Tuesday night.
Anthony “Niko” Perez, 29, of Main Street, was apprehended when found attempting to conceal himself in brush near New Hancock Street following the incident in the 100 block of Bowman Street, according to court records.
Perez claimed he was attacked by a group of people with baseball bats.
Police responded to Bowman Street at about 7:30 p.m. on initial reports of gunfire but learned Joseph Michael Caskey had been stabbed in his back, court records say.
Court records say several juvenile females went to Bowman Street to confront another juvenile female that eventually involved a grandmother.
The scene escalated into a physical confrontation and adults.
Caskey told police he heard someone disrespected his grandmother and went to the scene and engaged in a confrontation with Perez, who stabbed him in the back with brass knuckles that had an attached knife, court records say.
After Caskey was stabbed, Perez ran away on foot and was spotted by officers.
Perez initiated a foot chase and was found hiding in brush near New Hancock Street.
Caskey was transported to Geisinger Wyoming Valley Medical Center in Plains Township.
Police seized two bloody baseball bats from the front of a Bowman Street residence.
Perez was arraigned by District Judge Thomas Malloy of Wilkes-Barre on three counts of simple assault and one count each of aggravated assault, reckless endangerment, disorderly conduct, harassment and evading arrest. He was jailed at the Luzerne County Correctional Facility for lack of $125,000 bail.