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Repo Team Assaulted; St. Marys Man Charged

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  • Repo Team Assaulted; St. Marys Man Charged

    http://www.bradfordera.com/news/arti...9bb2963f4.html

    ST. MARYS — A St. Marys man is jailed on charges he mowed down a two people attempting to repossess his girlfriend’s vehicle Monday night, leaving one hospitalized with injuries.
    John Anthony Raspatello, 60, of 347 Brusselles St. in St. Marys is charged with four felony counts of aggravated assault and misdemeanors of simple assault, reckless endangerment, leaving the scene of an accident involving personal injury or death, and a summary offense of reckless driving after police say he intentionally struck a pair of tow truck operators outside his home on Monday evening.
    Raspatello remains in Elk County Prison on $25,000 cash bail. A preliminary hearing is set for 10:15 a.m. on Jan. 14 in St. Marys District Court.
    According to court records, at 7:40 p.m. Monday, police were called to the parking lot of Nic’s Tobacco at 325 Brusselles St. in St. Marys for a report of a motor vehicle accident.
    Police say they found Amy Cloak of Punxsutawney-based Brosious Towing and Tiltbed Services on the ground with injuries from being struck by a vehicle. Her co-worker, Dennis Brosious, was also struck, but not injured.
    The pair told cops they arrived at the location to execute a repossession order for a 2003 maroon Chevrolet Malibu belonging to Raspatello’s unidentified girlfriend.
    Upon arriving, Brosious called a phone number listed for the vehicle.
    Raspatello answered and emerged from a nearby residence minutes later asking to get his personal belongings from car and reportedly making a point to tell Brosious those items included a gun.
    Brosious obliged, at which point Raspatello stepped inside and commandeered the vehicle, throwing it into reverse and striking Brosious with the driver’s side door, the force of which reportedly caused the door to fold outward.
    Still in reverse, Raspatello then allegedly struck Cloak, dragging her for “about two car lengths,” according to the affidavit of probable cause filed in this case.
    Raspatello fled but was stopped by police blocks away on South Michael Street after a patrolman spotted the vehicle with its driver side door ajar and initiated a felony traffic stop.
    Raspatello requested medical attention, the affidavit said, claiming he had been pepper sprayed by Cloak and was taken to Elk Regional Health Center, as were the victims.
    Later that night, Brosious identified Raspatello to police as the driver of the vehicle involved in the earlier hit and run.
    Douglas Brosious was back on the job Tuesday, although it will be considerably longer before Cloak returns after suffering separated vertebrae in her neck and sternum in Monday’s incident.
    Brosious does hundreds of repossessions each year, sometimes as many as 10 to 12 per week, and said they rarely get this out of control. This is only the second such incident this year, he told The Era Tuesday.

  • #2
    St. Marys man charged in repo team assault appears in court

    http://www.bradfordera.com/news/arti...9bb2963f4.html

    ST. MARYS — The St. Marys man charged with mowing down a repo team attempting to seize his girlfriend’s car has been bound for court on charges of aggravated assault and related offenses, after a preliminary hearing in St. Marys District Court on Tuesday.
    John Anthony Raspatello, 60, of 347 Brusselles St. in St. Marys, is charged with four felony counts of aggravated assault and misdemeanors of simple assault, reckless endangerment, leaving the scene of an accident involving personal injury or death, and a summary offense of reckless driving after police say he intentionally struck a pair of tow truck operators outside his Brusselles Street home on Dec. 30.

    Tuesday’s preliminary hearing ended with Magisterial District Judge Mark S. Jacob ruling that enough evidence existed to support a crime having been committed and Raspatello’s involvement. Jacob stopped short of determining whether Raspatello is culpable, that will be left to the Elk County Court of Common Pleas, where Raspatello is now scheduled to appear for formal arraignment on May 5.
    The hearing included testimony from repo team members Doug Brosious and Amy Cloak — Cloak appearing in an arm sling and claiming her injuries sustained in the incident, including a dislocated collar bone, persist.
    Brosious, of Brosious Towing in Big Run, testified that a voluntary repossession turned sour when Raspatello, keys in hand, got into his girlfriend’s Chevy Malibu to collect his belongings.
    “He said I have a gun,” Brosious testified, adding that Raspatello then threw the car in reverse, striking Brosious and dragging Cloak under the vehicle’s open door for approximately two car lengths.
    Raspatello fled but was stopped by police blocks away on South Michael Street after a patrolman spotted the vehicle with its driver side door ajar and initiated a felony traffic stop.
    Arresting officer Peter Largey of St. Marys City Police testified Tuesday that he was responding to the hit-and-run call when he spotted the vehicle with its door ajar and Raspatello behind the wheel. Largey said Raspatello had been pepper sprayed by Cloak during their encounter and required medical attention.
    Brosious said as a result of the incident his pre-existing health conditions were aggravated, landing him in a five-day coma.
    Cloak’s injuries were more severe, they included a dislocated sternum as well as bumps and bruises. “I’m in pain everyday,” Cloak said tearfully during her testimony.
    Public defender James Martin questioned whether Brosious and Cloak were asking for trouble when he failed to walk away from an escalating situation and notify police. Martin asked if Brosious violated protocol in failing to forfeit a repossession with the potential to “breach the peace.”
    Brosious said there was no indication of any conflict brewing and that “it happened in a split second.”
    Martin also questioned whether Brosious properly identified himself and his purpose for being there prior to the altercation and why he failed to bring a tow truck.
    Brosious said he identified himself on the phone to Raspatello in the minutes leading up to the incident and that his truck parked at the scene also bore a company decal.
    In six years on the job, Brosious said he has learned, “nobody likes to give up their stuff.”
    Raspatello did not testify during Tuesday’s hearing and afterward refused comment on the advice of counsel. He is free on $25,000 bail.

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    • #3
      Nutty old geezer.

      Comment


      • #4
        St. Marys man found guilty for assault on repo team

        http://www.bradfordera.com/news/arti...fbc62912a.html

        A St. Marys man has been found guilty in the Elk County Court of Common Pleas on charges from mowing down a repo team attempting to seize his girlfriend’s car in 2013.

        John Anthony Raspatello, 60, of 347 Brusselles St. in St. Marys, was found guilty at trial of four counts of aggravated assault, two counts of simple assault, two counts of recklessly endangering another person and one count each of accidents involving injury and of reckless driving. No sentencing date had been scheduled as of Thursday.

        Police said Raspatello intentionally struck a pair of tow truck operators outside his Brusselles Street home on Dec. 30, 2013.

        Repo team members Doug Brosious and Amy Cloak testified at a preliminary hearing for Raspatello. Brocious, of Brosious Towing in Big Run, said it had been a voluntary repossession that turned sour when Raspatello, keys in hand, got into his girlfriend’s Chevy Malibu to collect his belongings.

        “He said I have a gun,” Brosious testified, adding that Raspatello then threw the car in reverse, striking Brosious and dragging Cloak under the vehicle’s open door for approximately two car lengths.

        Raspatello fled but was stopped by police blocks away on South Michael Street after a patrolman spotted the vehicle with its driver side door ajar and initiated a felony traffic stop.

        Raspatello remains free on $25,000 bail.

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