Police say a Saint Clair man burglarized a man’s home and threatened to “kill everyone” inside the building because he believed he gave a woman drugs that caused her to relapse.
The woman, police say, was also threatened by the suspect earlier that night at a nearby bar.
While police from Saint Clair were responding to a armed standoff in Minersville early Thursday morning, they say a dispatch was received that a man named Kevin broke into a home in their borough and was armed with a bat and a knife and threatening to kill everyone inside.
First to arrive at the scene in Saint Clair was Pottsville Police. By the time Saint Clair Police arrived, the suspect – identified as Kevin Smith, 36, of Saint Clair – was in custody. During a pat down while he was detained, police say they found a knife piercing through a front pocket of Smith’s pants and Ziploc bag that contained a white residue.
Upon speaking with the victim of this incident, police say they learned that Smith approached the victim while he sat in his vehicle outside of 106 N. 2nd St. in Saint Clair.
Smith allegedly started threatening the victim, saying he was going to kill everyone inside the building.
The victim reportedly told police that Smith calmed down to the point that he could go to his apartment. However, about an hour later, the victim said he heard sounds as if his door was being kicked in. Police say the front door of the victim’s apartment had boot marks on it and a large, circular dent near the door knob.
The situation calmed down once again but only for about 20 minutes, the victim told police. That’s when Smith allegedly used a baseball bat and smashed a window in the victim’s kitchen and entered the residence.
The victim said he confronted Smith. Smith reportedly said, “I told you I was serious.”
Smith then reportedly asked for a towel to deal with bleeding that resulted from him breaking the window and burglarizing the apartment.
Police say blood was seen on pieces of broken glass, the window frame, kitchen floor, and a concrete wall below the window.
A man who told police he was staying with Smith said he did not know what was happening. He reportedly led police to a blue towel that was covered in blood and a Louisville Slugger Snap On bat. Police say they also saw blood on the bat and that it had fresh tears in the wood at the top.
Smith was then questioned by police. He allegedly admitted to threatening the victim and striking his apartment door with the bat. However, he said he found the knife that police took from him in a breezeway in front of the victim’s residence.
He also reportedly told police that the kitchen window was smashed when a frying pan was thrown at him and that he reached through the window and that’s when he got cut.
Smith said he was mad because he believed the victim gave a woman drugs and that caused her to relapse. He also reportedly admitted to having four shots of vodka at a nearby bar and that he was a “lightweight” and that was a lot for him.
When police interviewed the woman Smith said relapsed because of the drugs she was given, she reportedly said that when Smith was there, he began threatening her. Other patrons at the bar attempted to calm Smith.
Smith reportedly attempted to jump over the counter to get the woman. He is quoted as saying that he “would be waiting for her” and he was “going to get her.” Smith was then escorted from the bar.
The woman was then contacted by the victim whose home was allegedly burglarized. He told her that Smith was waiting for her with a knife and said he was going to “slit her throat.”
Smith was arraigned before District Magistrate Judge Edward Tarantelli early Thursday morning and charged with burglary, a first-degree felony, as well as misdemeanor offenses of making terroristic threats, possessing an instrument of crime, simple assault, disorderly conduct, criminal mischief, and possession of a controlled substance and drug paraphernalia. He’s also been charged with summary offenses for public drunkenness and harassment.
Tarantelli set bail at $100,000 cash and Smith was remanded to Schuylkill County Prison.
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