A Schuylkill County man is accused of assaulting his disabled mother and causing more than $1,000 in property damage during an all-night altercatione in Wayne Township earlier this month.
Walter Gera, 34, was taken into custody after State Police responded to a home on Fair Rd. shortly before 7 a.m. on March 21 for a report of an active physical domestic dispute.
Arriving Troopers found Gera completely naked with his genitals exposed on the front porch of the residence, police say. Officers reported that Gera was slurring his words, appeared extremely intoxicated, and had to be given a blanket to cover himself.
Inside the home, a woman, identified by police as Gera’s mother, told investigators that her son began drinking the previous evening and was yelling throughout the night. She stated she was asleep on a downstairs couch when he began screaming and throwing objects down the stairs, police say.
The dispute escalated into a physical altercation when Gera allegedly ripped a cigarette out of his mother’s hand. Police state that Gera then got on top of the woman, grabbed her left wrist, and punched her in the left shoulder with a closed fist. Officers observed injuries consistent with this claim.
The woman told police she uses a mobility walker due to previous back surgeries and cannot walk well. During the altercation, Gera allegedly took the walker and threw it across the kitchen. Police say Gera also threw other items at his mother, including a kitchen drawer that she had to duck to avoid.
According to police, Gera smashed the woman’s cell phone, valued at $300, to prevent her from calling 9-1-1. She was eventually able to reach a landline to call for help.
Officers noted extensive damage inside the residence, observing a smashed kitchen drawer, thrown medications, documents, baskets, VHS tapes, and trash scattered across the kitchen and living room floors.
Gera’s grandmother told police she heard the altercation continuing throughout the night but locked herself in her upstairs bedroom out of fear. She reported hearing items slamming against the walls and found damage to the upstairs walls from Gera punching or throwing objects.
Police estimate the total value of the broken objects and damaged walls to be more than $1,000.
Gera was arraigned on a first-degree felony county of aggravated assault, misdemeanor counts of simple assault, open lewdness, criminal mischief, and reckless endangerment, as well as summary counts of criminal mischief and harassment.
Magisterial District Judge Edward Tarantelli set bail at $25,000 and remanded Gera to Schuylkill County Prison pending a preliminary hearing scheduled for April 2 before Judge Christian Lengel.
Schuylkill County Crisis & Support Resources
If you are in immediate danger, call 911. If you or someone you know is experiencing domestic abuse or sexual violence, free, confidential, and inclusive help is available 24/7 in Schuylkill County.
- Schuylkill Hope Center (Domestic Violence): Call the 24/7 hotline at (570) 622-6220, text HOPELINE to 20121, or visit schopecenter.org. Services include emergency shelter, housing assistance, counseling, and legal representation.
- SARCC (Sexual Assault): Call the 24/7 hotline at (570) 628-2965 or visit sarccheals.org for counseling, advocacy, and healing support for survivors of sexual violence.
- Outside Schuylkill County: Residents across Pennsylvania can find their local domestic violence program at pcadv.org. You can also visit domesticshelters.org to find resources near you.
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