A Schuylkill County man is facing criminal charges after he reportedly followed a woman and her 9-year-old grandson through the streets of Port Carbon last month while mumbling “I’m gonna get you.”
Police in Port Carbon say Angel Valdez, 44, then attempted to break into a home and caused thousands of dollars in property damage.
The woman told police she and her grandson were crossing Pike St. to Lang St. when Valdez began to walk behind them. As he followed them, he mumbled “Stop” and “I’m gonna get you,” the woman reported.
She told police she yelled at him to “get away,” but he continued to follow them. The woman and child ran to a neighbor’s home, where they were let inside. Police say Valdez then came onto the front porch, broke the front screen door, and banged on the door several times while yelling.
Security camera footage showed Valdez kicking the porch railing, causing a metal slat to break and hit the neighbor’s vehicle, police say. Police obtained estimates showing $2,578.66 in damages to the door and $1,235.96 in damages to the vehicle, totaling $3,814.62. The woman and the neighbor told police they did not know the man, and police say no physical contact was made.
When police arrived at the home for a report of this disturbance, they found Valdez lying on his back on the front porch holding a cell phone. Police say he pushed backward and buried his head into a hay bale on the porch.
Valdez reportedly said several times, “I need help.” When questioned, he presented incoherent answers and rambled. Noting he had two surgical bandages on his left shoulder and arm, police requested EMS, suspecting a psychiatric episode or medical condition. A neighbor later positively identified him.
Police have charged Valdez with a misdemeanor count of criminal mischief and summary counts of harassment and disorderly conduct. He’s been ordered to appear at a preliminary hearing on these charges on April 28 before Senior Magisterial District Judge Edward Lewis in Port Carbon.
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