Punxsutawney man charged in stabbing

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

Bradley Heitzenrater, 34, was arrested after police were called to a residence in the 200 block of North Jefferson Street on May 3 on reports of a stabbing. When police arrived, the victim said Heitzenrater stabbed him. The victim told officers that Heitzenrater was wearing a checkered shirt and was on his way to a Shop ‘n Save, the criminal complaint states.

The police contacted Hitzenrater shortly afterwards. In the affidavit, police noted that he could not walk in a straight or consistent line on his own and his speech was slurred. Heitzenrater was taken into custody and reportedly admitted in the patrol car that he had smoked marijuana earlier that evening. He also allegedly told police that he wanted to kill the victim but would never actually kill anyone, according to the complaint.

After the police dropped off Heitzenrater at the train station, they interviewed two witnesses. They told police that he approached them and asked them, “How do you kill a person?” They told them that he stabbed the victim three times with a screwdriver, police noted in the complaint.

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

Heitzenrater now faces a felony charge of aggravated assault – attempted aggravated assault, a felony charge of aggravated assault with attempted aggravated assault with a deadly weapon and other related charges.

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