Man accused of using oxygen tank in attempted Greene County home break-in
WAYNESBURG – A 60-year-old man allegedly used his oxygen tank in a failed attempt to break down the door of the Greene County home where his mother and sister were staying Monday morning after he claimed they had stolen money from him, state police said.
Troopers were called to 206 Good St., in Franklin Township about 8 a.m. when the home’s burglar alarm system was activated and found Gregory Allen Battistoni sitting in his car outside and the two women inside.
His sister, Debra Sue Blouir, told investigators Battistoni came to the home while she and her mother, Virginia Lee Battistoni, were inside and he demanded money. They refused to let him in and asked he leave, so he “became angry” and started to pull the locked screen door, according to court documents. Police said he broke the screen door’s handle and then used the oxygen tank in an attempt to break through the front door.
Blouir said she was “scared for her life” and propped a chair against the door to stop him from entering. She then contacted her alarm company after Battistoni went to wait in his car.
He told investigators they had “stolen money from him and he was there to collect it,” although he did not specify how much money he apparently was owed. Police said Battistoni caused about $100 in damage to the home’s doors.
Battistoni, of 187 Icebox Road, Jefferson, was charged with one felony count of attempted burglary and misdemeanor disorderly conduct, along with two citations each of criminal mischief and trespassing. District Judge Lee Watson arraigned Battistoni, who is free on $30,000 unsecured bond while he awaits his Dec. 4 preliminary hearing.