A Schuylkill County man was jailed over the weekend after police say he pepper-sprayed a woman in the eyes because he didn’t want to go visit friends with her.
Police in Pottsville say they were called to an apartment building in the 700 block of W. Market St just before 8 p.m. Saturday. At the scene, they encountered a woman screaming for help.
The woman, police say, had severe redness and swelling around her eyes. She reportedly told police that she’d gotten into an argument with 31-year-old Shawn Cicero, of Pottsville, about going to visit friends.
Cicero reportedly did not want to go so he allegedly took a bottle of pepper spray from the woman’s keychain and sprayed her in the face with it. He then fled the apartment on foot in an unknown direction, police say.
Police say as they were speaking with the woman, Cicero returned to the apartment carrying a half gallon of milk. The milk was reportedly for the woman to use on her eyes.
During a search of Cicero, police say they found a bottle of pepper spray, a hypodermic needle, and a glass smoking device with burned residue in it.
Cicero was later arraigned before Magisterial District Judge Christian Lengel on charges of simple assault, possession of drug paraphernalia, and possession of an instrument of crime.
Lengel set bail at $10,000 cash and remanded Cicero to Schuylkill County Prison.
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