Man jailed after being arrested twice in matter of hours
A Daisytown man is in Washington County jail, being held without bond, after he allegedly went to the home where his estranged girlfriend was staying early Sunday, just hours after he posted bond on charges filed by state police for allegedly pointing a gun at her.
Peter Michael Pappas Jr., 32, of 342 Woodland Road, was arrested Saturday night on a warrant charging him with reckless endangerment, simple assault and harassment for the alleged incident with Natasha Ratica earlier that day. He was arraigned on the charges before District Judge Gary Havelka, who ordered him not to have any contact with Ratica, who obtained an emergency protection-from-abuse order.
In her application for the emergency order, the 24-year-old woman indicated Pappas was stalking her and he had a bad temper.
Pappas was released from jail about 1:20 a.m. Sunday, and, two hours later, he was outside the North Bethlehem Township home where Ratica was staying, police said.
Ratica initially went to the state police barracks about 2:30 a.m. Saturday because she was concerned for her safety after Pappas allegedly followed her from her workplace. She said Pappas followed her to the police barracks but then drove off.
Ratica told police he followed her from work on Route 40 in North Bethlehem, pulling alongside her twice before she sped away. Ratica told police she later turned into a residential area in Ellsworth in an attempt to avoid him but inadvertently went onto a dead-end street. As she tried to turn her vehicle around, she said he approached her vehicle and pointed a handgun at her. She said she managed to drive through a grassy area and get away.
After Ratica arrived at the barracks, police initially attempted to locate Pappas, then obtained a warrant at Havelka’s office. Pappas was taken into custody on the charges and placed in jail just after 8 p.m. Saturday to await arraignment.
He was later released, but it was just a matter of hours, about 3:30 a.m. Sunday, that police were called to the North Bethlehem home. Pappas allegedly drove past the house four times before parking and getting out of his vehicle. Police said the homeowner went onto the porch and saw Pappas approaching and asking why Ratica was there. He was taken into custody by state police and again arraigned before Havelka, this time for violating the PFA order.
Havelka denied bond on grounds Pappas violated the conditions of his first bond.
A preliminary hearing on the assault and endangerment charges is set for June 11 before District Judge Curtis Thompson. A hearing on the contempt charge for violating the PFA is set for June 8 in Washington County Courthouse.