Oct 26, 2016 1 min read

A Burgettstown man faces several charges, including endangering the welfare of children and having a prohibited offensive weapon, filed Wednesday by Houston police stemming from an incident earlier this month.

Richard Brian Cipranic, 45, of 909 Joffre-Cherry Valley Road, is also charged with tampering with evidence, restrictions on alcohol beverages and several traffic violations.

Police were on patrol Oct. 9 when they saw a man and five children acting suspisciously in a vehicle parked on a borough street. The officer walked over to the driver’s side and could smell a strong odor of alcohol. Police found an open can of beer on the floor in front of the driver’s seat.

The car was unlocked with the keys inside, police said. A sheathed filet knife was on the dashboard and two blow guns, with ammunition, were on the top of the back seat.

Police determined the vehicle was registered to a Burgettstown woman, however the license plate on the vehicle was registered to a man in Burgettstown. Police also found an expired driver’s license belonging to Cipranic.

Charges were sent by summons from the office of District Judge David Mark. Cipranic faces a Dec. 7 preliminary hearing before Mark.