A Schuylkill County man previously released on bail for allegedly threatening a former partner on mobile payment apps is back in custody after police say he harassed the victim at her home and repeatedly fled from officers across city rooftops.
Sean Skellenger, 36, of Pottsville, faces three sets of charges stemming from two separate incidents in April, including stalking, evading arrest, and terroristic threats. He’s now back in jail, police say.
Officers in the city say the latest incidents began on Tuesday night, at about 9:30, when they were dispatched to a residence on Peacock St. for a report of a disturbance.
The victim told police her former intimate partner, Skellenger, knocked on her door. After she told him to leave and stated she would contact police, Skellenger allegedly became irate and yelled an obscenity at her through the front door before walking away.
Shortly after, the victim went outside to warn returning household members that he might be nearby. Skellenger reportedly saw them arrive, approached the victim near her vehicle, and began screaming and cursing at her. She retreated inside and locked the doors, but police say Skellenger pounded his fist on the front door window while yelling and cursing, prompting her to contact police.
At about 10:30 last night, the victim reported that Skellenger called her from Pottsville Motor Inn and made explicit comments. When she asked why he kept calling, he allegedly replied, “I’m coming back down there.” After hanging up, she received two more missed calls, police say.
Shortly before 11 p.m., police say they attempted to contact Skellenger at a residence on Jefferson St. When police located him outside, he immediately fled on foot. Police say Skellenger ran through an alleyway, entered a basement door, climbed to the second story, and climbed out a window onto a neighboring roof. He descended from the roof, allegedly damaging a gutter and garden ornaments, and successfully evaded arrest.
Overnight, police received information that Skellenger had returned to the Jefferson St. residence. Upon arrival, police say he again fled through a second-story window, jumping onto the roof of a house two doors down. After a short period, Skellenger obeyed police commands to come down and was taken into custody without further incident.
Following this second incident, police filed two separate sets of charges against Skellenger. He is charged with misdemeanor stalking, summary harassment, and summary disorderly conduct, with bail set at $10,000 cash. He was also charged with misdemeanor evading arrest or detention on foot and misdemeanor criminal mischief, with bail set at 10% of $10,000. He was arraigned before Magisterial District Judge James Reiley and sent back to Schuylkill County Prison, from where he’d just been released a week earlier.
The incident on Tuesday occurred just days after Skellenger posted bond on separate harassment charges involving the same victim.
On April 18, the victim reported that Skellenger had been sending her non-stop messages for approximately two weeks. After she blocked his number, police say he used his mother’s phone, email, text-free numbers, and mobile payment apps like Cash App and Venmo to continue contacting her.
According to police, Skellenger sent the victim 51 messages via Cash App on April 17 alone. The following day, he allegedly used the memo section of Cash App’s transaction details to send threats of violence, including stating he would punch the victim in the face. The victim told police the constant messages were causing her serious emotional distress.
When police initially contacted Skellenger on April 18 regarding the messages, he reportedly told police he was “done for the night” and refused to speak further.
For the April 18 incident, Skellenger was charged with misdemeanor counts of stalking, terroristic threats, and harassment. He was arraigned that day before Reiley, who set bail at $15,000 cash. Skellenger posted bond and was released on April 21, according to court records.
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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