Assault, vandalism with arrow in Sutersville results in conviction
Oct. 14—A Sutersville man was convicted of aggravated assault and related offenses Thursday after his neighbor testified he was threatened with an arrow during a September 2020 incident outside their apartment building.
Daniel Predajna said he was able to hold a screen door closed to prevent Rickie L. Case, 60, from getting to him.
"I thought I was going to get stabbed with an arrow," Predajna testified during Case's nonjury trial. "I'm a hunter. I know what these are."
Case will be sentenced in a few months after being found guilty of all seven counts against him connected to a Sept. 15, 2020, incident on Third Avenue in which he admitted to puncturing tires on two vehicles with the arrow.
Trooper Ryan Ilich testified he responded around 10 a.m. to a reported disturbance outside of Junebugs bar. Neighbor Caitlyn McGinn testified she heard commotion outside that day and, upon looking out the window of her home, saw Case using the arrow to puncture tires on a vehicle.
She alerted the vehicle's owner and other neighbors came outside during the incident. Predajna said Case threatened to stab him in the neck and ran at him holding the the arrow above his shoulder in a hallway of the apartment building, while Predajna stood outside the screen door holding it closed.
Two tires on Predajna's diesel work truck were damaged. Neighbor Bryan Field testified that three tires on his Ford Fiesta were slashed.
Case, who testified in his own defense, disputed their accounts, claiming he slashed only three tires total with the arrow. He said he had reached a breaking point that morning after enduring what he described as neighbors banging on his walls all night.
He denied threatening Predajna with the arrow and said he never ran at the man with it but had it in his back pocket while in the hallway of the apartment building when Predajna was outside.
"I never would do that," Case testified.
Defense attorney Adam Gorzelsky argued his client should be found not guilty of the aggravated assault count.
"Mr. Case ... is a pretty honest person," he said. "(Case) wanted to tell your honor what happened. He didn't shy away from the fact that he acted a bit recklessly."
Assistant District Attorney Theresa Miller-Sporrer pointed to the testimony of two witnesses who said Case ran at Predajna with the arrow. She said Case's account should not be believed.
"(Case) very convincingly gives a version of events where he, once again, is the victim," she argued.
Case remains at the Westmoreland County Prison on $75,000 bail in that case.
Renatta Signorini is a Tribune-Review staff writer. You can contact Renatta by email at rsignorini@triblive.com or via Twitter .
