Man Stabbed in Girardville, Two Arrested

A man was stabbed in Girardville Sunday night and police have arrested two suspects.

According to court documents, Troopers from State Police-Frackville were dispatched to the 100 block of N. Line St. at about 11:30 p.m. Sunday (Aug. 3) for a reported disturbance involving multiple people.

When they arrived, they came upon a man who’d been stabbed multiple times. The stabbing victim was taken by ambulance to Geisinger Medical Center-Danville. No report on his condition is currently available.

Police say they immediately detained two suspects in the stabbing: Isaiah Fasig, 20, and Anthony Lagambina, 27, both of Girardville, who were present at the scene when they arrived.

During their investigation, police say they viewed surveillance video from a nearby garage on Line St. Based on what they saw, police say the stabbing victim and his brother were arguing with Fasig and Lagambina outside of that garage, near the victim’s vehicle, at about 11:14 p.m.

Fasig, at the time of the argument, had a double-edged ax in one hand and a knife in the other.

At 11:30 p.m., police say the video shows Lagambina entering a home on Line St. with a knife in one hand. He later exits without that knife.

During the course of the entire surveillance video, police say Fasig and Lagambina are constantly yelling and repeatedly using the word “n***a.”

Police say they received permission to search a home where Fasig was in the process of moving. The person allowing Fasig to move in presented police with an ax and knife that he said he found on a shelf and computer desk inside his home.

Inside the home, police say they also found a knife with what appeared to be blood on it. They also found another double-edged ax. All four weapons were taken into custody by police.

Police say they spoke with the victim’s brother later during their investigation. He said he was a passenger in his brother’s vehicle when they were traveling north on Line St. on Sunday night. Fasig and Lagambina were reportedly walking south on the road into oncoming traffic at the time.

When his brother’s vehicle stopped, he said an argument ensued between his brother and Fasig through the driver’s side window. That’s when Fasig stabbed his brother, he said, while he was still seated in the vehicle. The victim was stabbed twice on the left side and hit with the ax, his brother said.

The brother also said that Lagambina stabbed the victim twice, police report.

Back at the Frackville barracks, police conducted interviews with Fasig and Lagambina.

Fasig reportedly told police that the confrontation with the victim stemmed from an issue Lagambina had with the victim earlier on Sunday night. He said that Lagambina was worried that the victim may be following him so he armed himself with an ax and knife, just in case he encountered the victim and needed to defend himself.

Fasig said he also gave a knife to Lagambina.

He then reportedly told police that they left a home on Line St. to find the victim and see what his problem was with them. Later, he said they encountered the victim in his vehicle.

During the argument, Fasig said the victim grabbed the ax he was holding so he stabbed him to get him to release it.

“I coulda got his neck. You know what I mean,” Fasig reportedly told police. “I wasn’t trying to hurt him. I was trying to get the weapon back off him.”

The victim allegedly did not immediately relinquish the ax despite being stabbed, so Fasig said, “I had to give him a couple, you know, stabs.”

Fasig said he believed the victim was drunk and unpredictable so he had to stab him to protect himself.

He said that Lagambina did not stab the victim and the victim wasn’t hit with an ax. When police asked Fasig why he didn’t flee the scene when the victim grabbed the ax, he reportedly said that he didn’t want to abandon it.

“It’s mine,” he said.

Lagambina told police that he was worried the victim may have been following him because of the issue he allegedly had with him. He said Fasig gave him a knife to defend himself.

Lagambina said he did not stab the victim but he did try to “hit someone” when Fasig began arguing with the victim.

“I tried to hit someone (with the knife), but I hit the (bleeping) car,” Lagambina reportedly told police.

Lagambina has been charged with simple assault, reckless endangerment, harassment, and disorderly conduct. 

Fasig has been charged with counts of aggravated assault, simple assault, harassment, and disorderly conduct.

Both were arraigned before Magisterial District Judge Edward Tarantelli on Monday morning and remanded to Schuylkill County Prison.

Tarantelli set bail at $250,000 for Fasig and $150,000 for Lagambina.

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