Fight Over Who Would Sleep with the Cat, Infidelity Lands Schuylkill County Men in Jail, Police Say

Two Schuylkill County men were jailed on assault charges after police say an all-day argument over alleged infidelity escalated into a physical fight over who would sleep with their cat.

Noah Forker, 22, is charged with a felony count of aggravated assault, a misdemeanor count of simple assault, and a summary count of harassment. Malik Hogan, 29, is charged with a misdemeanor count of simple assault and a summary count of harassment. Both Orwigsburg men were arraigned before Magisterial District Judge Edward Tarantelli early Sunday morning. Forker’s bail was set at 10% of $10,000, while Hogan’s bail was set at 10% of $5,000. Preliminary hearings are scheduled for Aug. 11 in Orwigsburg.

Police say they responded to a reported disturbance at a residence on E. Mifflin St. at about 1:30 a.m. on Sunday. The men told police they had been arguing throughout the day because Forker believed Hogan was cheating on him. Their fight began early that morning over who would sleep with the cat as they’d been sleeping in separate rooms.

Hogan told police that Forker kept the cat, but continued to badger him in the hallways. He said when he told Forker to leave the house, Forker refused and struck him in the head while he was in bed. Hogan admitted to police that he then got up to physically remove Forker, sparking a fight during which an interior glass door was broken. Hogan said he struck Forker in the mouth and pulled his hair during the scuffle. He alleged the altercation continued until Forker threw a lamp at him, which struck the door and shattered more glass. Hogan sustained two large scratch marks on his forearm, which he believed occurred during the glass breaking.

Forker provided police with a conflicting account, saying he was trying to keep to himself when Hogan repeatedly entered his bedroom to start a fight. He alleged that Hogan pushed him, pulled out some of his hair, struck him in the head, and grabbed his wrist in an attempt to kiss him. When Forker yelled instead of kissing back, he said Hogan bit his upper lip, arm, and ear. Forker admitted to grabbing and throwing the lamp while yelling at Hogan to back away, police say. Forker further claimed that Hogan intentionally cut his own arm with a piece of broken glass when Forker began calling 9-1-1.

Police say Forker had a swollen upper lip, a cut, a bruised ear, and was holding hair he said Hogan pulled out. Neither men’s hands had signs of injuries from cut glass or blood. Forker and Hogan each showed police short video clips of portions of the altercation. EMS personnel were called to the scene, and Hogan was taken to St. Luke’s Hospital for treatment of his injuries.

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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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